He's Awake
by Meghannna
Summary: Takes place the morning after season 4's finale. Sam/Andy at the hospital.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: It's not long, but I needed to write it. Last night was absolutely amazing and I needed to get this out there. Let me know what you think- of the story or just the episode last night. **

She had been up all night, sitting right next to him. She was looking for any sign that he would wake up and let her know he was all right. The doctors tried to convince her that he would be, that he just needed to rest, but she wouldn't believe it until she saw it with her own eyes. At one point, Traci came in with a pile of clothes for her to change into and took her uniform back to the station to be put in her locker. And then Andy went right back to waiting. She played with the ends of his fingers and watched his chest rise and fall with every breath. She listened to the uniformed officers outside his closed door, Gail and Chris, talking about nothing in particular. She wiped her eyes over and over, amazed that she could even produce that many tears. And she waited to see his eyes open or hear his voice. Early in the morning, though, she ended up asleep with her head resting near his stomach and her hand clutching his sheets.

When he woke up, he stared at his closed door, breathing deeply. He heard whoever was out there, it sounded like Diaz and maybe Peck, talking about Oliver. And his mind went into overdrive. Was he really okay? He couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, but he could hear the worry in their voice and his best friend's name over and over. His breathing became ragged and he tried to bring his right hand to wipe the sweat forming on his forehead, but it ended up hitting something. He turned and noticed, for the first time, Andy sleeping in the chair next to him and he let out a deep, even breath at the sight and rested his hand on the back of her head.

She sat up immediately, his hand falling, looking first toward the door and then quickly at him and she just started to cry. She was on her feet in a second, leaning over him, cradling his face between her hands. "You're awake," she smiled, resting her forehead against his. "Are you doing okay? I should get the doctor."

"In a minute," he croaked and she nodded furiously against him. "Oliver. Is Oliver okay?"

"He's okay, Sam," she told him, smiling at the sound of his voice. "He's got a concussion and some stitches, but he'll be out of here later today. He's okay."

"You're okay?" He breathed.

"Now I am," she said and he smiled. She stood up again, looking down at him, and ran her fingers across his hairline and down his jaw. "I'm going to let the others know you're awake, okay?"

"Andy," he sighed and she waited, tracing his face again as if to make sure it was really him. "You and me..."

"We'll talk about that later, okay?" She asked, laughing nervously. "I'm not leaving anytime soon. We've got time. I'm not going anywhere."

"Okay."

She smiled down at him once more and kissed him on the forehead, lingering for a second. She turned away with a pat on his hand and walked across the room for the door. As soon as it opened, Gail and Chris turned toward her expectantly. "He's awake," she said, smiling through another batch of tears. She wiped her eyes furiously and they smiled at her. "I've got to get his doctor."

Before she even found his doctor, she found Frank pacing at the end of the hall. "Sam's awake," she told him and he stopped, smiling immediately.

"I'm gonna..." he said, pointing toward his room and she nodded, smiling. She took a deep breath and continued to the nurses' station.

"Hi," she said to an older woman with kind eyes. "Sam Swarek in 1402 is awake. I just thought I should let someone know."

"Thank you," the nurse smiled. "I'll let his doctor know."

"Thanks," Andy smiled. She started back for Sam's room, but decided to change course and find Oliver. She'd seen him only briefly the night before while Sam was still in surgery and he was asleep. "Oliver?" She called, gently pushing aside the curtain. He looked up at her, looking for news and all she had to do was smile for him to let out a relieved sigh.

"How's he doing?" He asked finally.

"I just sent his doctor in, I'll let you know when I hear something," she promised. "I just needed to see you and make sure you're really okay. It was the first thing out of his mouth- wanting to know how you were."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. And you are, right?" She asked hopefully and he nodded.

"Celery just went to pick up a change of clothes," he told her. "I'll be out of here in a couple of hours."

"Oh, that's what I told him. That's good," she smiled. "He's in 1402 if you want to stop in on your way out."

"You gonna be around?" Oliver asked with a knowing smile and she chuckled.

"I'm not going anywhere," she promised. "I'll be in the same chair I slept in, right next to him."

"Good," he said, smiling again. "Then, I'll see you in a little while."

Andy nodded, turning to leave, and ran into Celery. "Oh, hey," she said. "How's Sam?"

"He's awake," she shrugged. "That's good news."

"That's really good news," Celery promised and Andy smiled gratefully. "We'll see you later."

"Bye," she said quietly, ducking out.

She practically ran back to Sam's room. She stood against the wall near the door, letting Frank, Chris and Gail have a moment. As soon as she was in the room, though, his eyes found hers and she smiled. It took him a second to look away, but eventually he had to answer a question from Frank. They all turned when the door opened and his doctor entered.

"Can I have a minute with him?" He asked, nodding at Sam. They all nodded and headed for the door. She was the last to reach it when Sam called out.

"McNally," he said, his voice still a little hoarse. Andy turned back, looking at him with wide eyes. "Stay."

She looked quickly from him to the doctor, who just shrugged, and then back at him. "You sure, Sam? I don't have to."

"You said you weren't going anywhere," he reminded her and she nodded, smiling. She walked over to the right side of the bed, away from his wound, and held his hand tightly. They both listened as the doctor told him about his injury, his surgery, and his treatment. With every new piece of information, she felt him squeeze her hand, and she nodded to herself over and over, taking it all in.

"You should be able to leave by the end of the week," he concluded. "But you'll be out of work a while. You'll probably be able to return to light duty in a month, but we'll track your progress and figure it out. When you do leave the hospital, you'll need to take it very easy, okay? No lifting, no reaching, nothing too strenuous. You shouldn't be alone."

"He won't be," Andy answered automatically, gaining her a surprise look from Sam. "Don't be stupid, Sam," she laughed. "He won't be alone."

"Okay," the doctor nodded with a smile. He took a look at Sam's chart, hung it back on the end of the bed, and crossed his arms. "I'll be back to check on you in a few hours. A nurse will be in with more medication soon."

"Thanks," Sam mumbled, turning to look at Andy. "You don't need to take care of me," he told her and she rolled her eyes.

She pulled her chair over so she was next to his head and ran her free hand through his hair. "I went to see Oliver. He's going to come see you when he's discharged," she told him, ignoring his earlier protest.

"Okay," he nodded, wetting his lips. They watched each other, a smile growing on her face. "Andy..."

"I meant it," she told him suddenly, cutting him off. "I did and I do. So, please don't fight me on it, okay? And... just... I don't know."

"You meant it?" He asked through a smile and she nodded slowly. "Which part?"

"All of it, Sam," she promised and he let out a relieved breath. "I won't let you be alone for a second, okay? I'm here and I'm pretty sure Frank will understand if I need to miss a shift or two."

"You can't stay here all week, McNally," he told her and she shrugged her shoulder. "You know you can't."

"I know," she said sadly. "But I'm staying today and probably tomorrow. I'll go back to work after that. I'll come back for lunches and as soon as my shift ends. Got it?"

"Yeah," he smiled. "I got it, McNally."

"I love you," she said quietly, leaning her forehead against his. "I do."

He closed his eyes, taking it all in, and tilted his head up to kiss her lightly. It was an innocent kiss, especially for them, but it was so loaded that it took the breath from both of them. It was the first time in a long time that Sam felt truly happy- even if he was holed up in the hospital with a bullet wound. He had her and she'd just told him she loved him.

"I love you, Andy," he whispered and her smile lit up her entire face.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thank you so much for all of the reviews. You guys are amazing. I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue this story, but I keep getting more ideas and some people requested me to post more. So, I did. Let me know what you think and if I should keep going. I could probably be swayed either way. I know I could write more, though. I've already got a next chapter in my head.**

Andy had moved her chair so she was parallel to Sam, facing him. Their elbows were resting on the mattress between them, their arms at 90 degree angles. Andy's fingers danced around Sam's and her legs were pulled underneath her. He was sitting up now, telling her the story of his weekend at Oliver's cabin and the generator issues. Her eyes were glowing with amusement and she laughed out loud when he told her about getting shocked.

"You're ridiculous," she told him and he shrugged. "You know, Chris and Dov are actually really good with that kind of stuff. You shouldn't have sent them packing for fire wood."

"Yeah, we know that now, McNally," he said flatly and she laughed again. He chuckled, wincing a little, and licked his lips.

"Want me to tell you another story?" She asked and he nodded. Just then, the door opened and Oliver walked in. "Later," she promised, letting his hand go and standing up. She wrapped her arms around Oliver's neck and he squeezed her back. "I'm going to grab a coffee," she told them and she smiled at Sam.

"So," Oliver sang as the door closed behind her. "What's going on with that?"

"I don't really know," Sam told him truthfully. Oliver nodded and sat in the chair Andy had just vacated. "A lot happened yesterday."

"Tell me about it. You happy?"

"Right now?" He asked and Oliver nodded. "Yeah, but once her shock wears off and she realizes it's a mistake, that she was just afraid I was going to die, I'll let you know."

"You really think that's what's going on?"

"She told me she loved me a few times," he confided and Oliver's eyes widened. "And that she meant it. But I can't help but wonder."

"Want me to talk to her?" Oliver asked and Sam wasn't sure if he was serious or not.

"Yes, please," he answered sarcastically and Oliver laughed. "No," he said seriously. "Once you do and she does realize it, it'll be over and I'm not sure I'm ready for that."

"Better sooner rather than later, right?"

Sam just shook his head and said, "Anyway, how are you feeling, Brother?"

"I'm fine," he told him. "I'm on my way out. What about you? How do you feel?"

"Like..." he trailed off, scratching at his jaw. "Like I got shot."

"What happened, Sammy?"

"A lot," he said again, shaking his head. "I don't know, man. I was leaving to get away from McNally and Collins and she chased out after me, we found your squad, and we figured out Ford was in the station. We split up, clearing rooms and looking for him. And all of a sudden, Collins walks out of the parade room, right into Ford. Ford pulls out his gun- your gun, I guess- and I just called his name. He turned, shot me, and then someone shot him. Next thing I know, Andy's there and we're in the ambulance and she's telling me this story and she lays it all out there. Then, it's blank until this morning."

"Collins shot him," Oliver told him and Sam nodded, figuring that was the case all along. "And you took a bullet for him. Why?"

"I didn't know he was going to shoot me," Sam sighed and Oliver rolled his eyes. "I just needed him not to shoot Collins."

"Okay," Oliver said skeptically, not really getting it, but letting it go. "How long you in for?"

"End of the week."

"How long are you off duty?"

"A month probably, and then light duty. You?"

"This week and next week," Oliver said, nodding. "Are you going home with McNally?"

"As of now, yeah," Sam nodded. "But, um, she can't stay out of work to take care of me. Even if she tried, I wouldn't let her."

"Yeah. Listen, I didn't get shot," Oliver said, laughing. "I'll come by next week and make sure you're okay during the day. We can watch bad TV and figure out your burgeoning relationship with one, Andy McNally."

"Oh, great," Sam laughed. "Thanks, Ollie."

"Anything for you, my man," Oliver smiled. "I'm gonna go, though. Celery's waiting. I'll stop by sometime tomorrow."

"Feel better."

"Yeah, you too."

Andy waited in the hall, leaning against the wall across from Sam's room. Chris and Gail had been relieved of guarding the door earlier in the day, so she was just staring at it willing it to open. Once it did, she pushed herself off the wall and started toward it. Oliver stopped her with a hand on her wrist and pulled her farther down the hall. "Sam will kill me if he knows I'm doing this," he started and Andy got suddenly very nervous. "In fact, he specifically told me not to do this."

"Okay?"

"Don't mess around with him, McNally. I'm not joking. He just got shot, saving your boyfriend, and he's got enough to deal with. If you're in this for real, great. I'm ecstatic. But if you even have a seed of doubt, let him know now and leave," Oliver said with a surprisingly calm voice.

"Oliver," she started, catching her breath. "He almost died last night. And I felt like my whole world shattered. This is for real and it's not because he got shot, okay? It's because he wants me to be happy and I can't be if he's not around. I can't be happy if Sam is with anyone else and I'd never be truly happy with Nick."

Oliver stood up, letting her arm fall, and regarded her seriously. "Okay," he said with an easy smile. "I'm going to hang out with him while you're working next week. You can do whatever you want with the rest of the time."

"I'm not going anywhere," she said again and he smiled again. "You're a good friend."

"I have to be," he shrugged. "He's the best friend."

Andy smiled and hugged him with and arm around his neck. "I'll see you later," she promised, pulling back and he nodded.

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for entering his room again. Clearly, Sam and Oliver had just talked about her and he was worried about something. Finally, she let herself into his room and she looked up at her immediately. She could see a smile playing on his lips but also the worry in his eyes.

"Want to hear that story?" She asked, closing the door behind her. He nodded and she smiled, rubbing her hands against her thighs. She suddenly got nervous, looking across the room at him. "Okay," she breathed, moving to sit back down next to him. He watched her, quietly, and she gently scratched his forearm. "Remember the night you and my dad watched the Leafs game together?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I think so."

"It wasn't planned or anything, you know?" She started, tracing circles on his upturned palm. "Um, we had the day off and spent the morning at the gym, boxing a couple of rounds. And then we spent the rest of the day doing nothing. We just hung out at my place," she let out a breath, smiling at the memory. "You were on your way out so you could watch the game at your place and I could do my laundry and dishes. But my dad stopped by to drop something off and you two started talking. When you told him you had to leave to catch the game on time, he remembered that he did, too. I don't know how it happened, but, um, you both ended up staying at my place and watched the whole game together. So, I did what I had to do around the house and you two sat on the couch screaming at the TV because they were losing," she laughed.

"Sounds about right," Sam laughed and she nodded.

"And I finished everything I had to do, so I just sat next to you on the arm of the couch. You weren't paying attention to me, either of you, which was fine and expected. But, then, all of sudden, you pulled me to sit on your lap. It's like you just did it out of habit and you didn't care that we were sitting right next to my dad. So, we sat there together for the last half hour of a game and every time something happened, you'd muffle a yell in my shoulder and then you'd kiss it. But, somehow, they scored a couple of goals- actually winning and you loved it. You both did. And you didn't go home that night," she said, finally looking up at his face. He was watching her with a certain intensity that made her stomach do flips.

"That's the story?" He asked, quirking his lips into a smile and she chuckled.

"That's when I knew that _I _would never love anyone more," she finished, swallowing hard. "That game, for some reason, and the way you reached for me and held me against you. It was like you needed me and I wanted to be there for you. Sam, I realized how well you fit in the rest of my world then. And when you stayed the night, we spent most of it fooling around," she laughed, shaking her head. "And the morning after, you did that _thing_," she said, laughing nervously this time.

"Oh," he nodded, smirking. "I remember the thing."

"I bet you do," she said, leaning closer to run her fingers through his hair. "And I almost told you I loved you that morning as you were leaving."

"Why didn't you?" Sam asked, letting out a breath.

"I was scared," she shrugged her shoulder, sitting back again. "And you had to leave. I didn't want it to be a passing moment. I mean, I know how I told you for the first time wasn't perfect..."

"It was pretty close," he promised. Andy nodded, biting the inside of her cheek.

"Sam, now you know when I first realized you loved me and when I loved you," she told him and he nodded. "And I haven't stopped. Obviously, I tried, but it's not something I can wish away. And I don't want to anymore."

"McNally," he sighed. She laced her fingers through his, willing him to continue. "I want to fit in your life. I want you. But I told you yesterday, what I want more than anything is for you to be happy. I wasn't great at making you happy."

"Are you listening to me, Sam?" She asked, leaning her head in. "Being with you made me happy. You make me happy. Clearly, we have a lot of things to work out, but it's worth it. Isn't it?"

Sam took in everything she had said, letting it all sink in. She made him happy. That much he knew for sure, but he would never be sure if he could do the same for her. He didn't want Andy to regret any of her choices and end up resenting him. She was watching him, still waiting for an answer, and he wanted to assure her. Right then, Sam knew he had to make the decision. Shake his head or nod it. Simple. Her eyes were rimmed with tears threatening to fall.

"It's worth it," he nodded and she let out a relieved breath that turned into a smile. "But you need to go."

"Excuse me?" She asked, pulling back again.

"You need to sleep," he told her. "Diaz mentioned that you only got about a couple of hours this morning."

"So what? I'm fine," she insisted and he shook his head. "Yes, I am. I'll go home when visiting hours end, okay?"

"That's in, like, four hours, McNally," he argued and she just shrugged. "You need sleep now. You look like you're about to pass out."

"Do you want me to leave?"

"I want you to rest," he said lightly and she nodded. "There's no reason for you to be this exhausted."

"I think there's plenty of reasons, actually."

"Okay," he conceded. "But you should still go home and get some sleep. I'll be doing the same thing here."

Andy thought about it for a second, knowing he was probably right. She was tired, she was beat. She didn't want to leave him alone, though. He was looking at her with a soft expression and she could see he was exhausted, too. So, she stood up, took hold of his chin and kissed him. She felt his hand at the back of her neck, holding her to him, and she ran her hand to rest on his chest.

"Call me if you need anything," she said when she pulled away. He nodded and she smiled. "Do you need me to stop by your place, grab some clothes or something?"

"Yeah, actually," he nodded again. "My stuff is in that drawer," he told her, letting go of her and pointing at the table next to his bed. "Just grab my keys and let yourself in. I probably just need some sweats and t-shirts."

"Okay," she nodded, pulling out the keys. "Is everything in the same place, same drawers?"

"Yup," he said, looking at the keys. "If you end up at the station before you get back here, feel free to take the truck."

"Yeah?" She asked with a smile and he chuckled.

"Yeah, go crazy."

She smiled again and leaned down to kiss him softly. "Call me if you need _anything_."

"I will, McNally."

"I'll see you tomorrow," she promised and he nodded.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thank you all so much for the reviews! You're blowing my mind! I'm so happy that you're liking this story so much! I'm glad I can help you all get through the hiatus... It's going to be a tough one. **

**So, this chapter I decided to get some issues out on the table... Enjoy!**

Andy got out of the cab at the station, spotting Sam's truck, and then kept her head down as she walked inside and into the locker room. Frank had told her that he found her coverage for her shift that she was missing and she didn't want to be noticed. She just wanted to grab her uniform and have it dry cleaned before her first shift back. So, she hurried to the locker room, only looking up once she was inside. It was still pretty early, so the morning shift hadn't come in yet and the night shift was still out. She'd timed it perfectly.

She stuffed her uniform into her bag and shut her locker. When she turned around, she saw Traci looking at her with a smile. "You're here early," she accused, sliding her bag onto her shoulder.

"You're _here_," Traci laughed. "I wasn't expecting to see you until tomorrow."

"I know," Andy nodded, moving closer. "I wanted to drop my uniform off at the dry cleaners, wash that whole day off of it, you know?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "That's actually why I'm early. I was gonna run over there before my shift and pick it up for you tonight."

"Trace!" Andy smiled, reaching out for a hug. "You're the best."

"I just know you, McNally. You like fresh starts," she smiled when they pulled away from each other. "Speaking of, how is Sam?"

"He's doing okay," she told her. "He'll be in the hospital until the end of the week, back on light duty in about a month. I think he's gonna go crazy."

"Probably," Traci laughed. "Callaghan's staying on until he gets back."

"Really?" Andy asked, surprised. It seemed like Luke was only at 15 when they were in grave danger.

"Really. It was his idea and everything. Do you need a ride to the hospital?"

"No, that's okay. Thank you," she said gratefully. "Sam told me to take his truck."

"Wow," Traci said, stretching the word out. "This is serious."

"I think we're at that point," Andy shrugged as they walked toward the door. "It's either all or nothing, you know?"

"Yeah," Traci nodded. "I'll see you in the morning. Take it easy today."

"Thanks for everything, Trace."

"Anytime," she smiled, turning to head toward the detectives' office.

Andy watched her walk away with a small smile on her face and turned toward the parking lot. Keeping her head down again, she walked right into a body. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry," she said, putting her hands out and looking up. "Hey," she said to Nick, quickly taking her hands off his chest.

"Hey," he said with an amused smile. "I didn't think you'd be here today."

"I'm not," she said quickly, stepping back. "I mean, I am. But I'm not staying and working. I just needed to grab something from my locker."

Nick just nodded, looking at her closely. "How's Swarek?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"Good," she nodded, biting her lip. "He's okay."

"How are you?"

"I'm fine," she smiled, tilting her head. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," he said, nodding. For a minute, the two of them watched each other and Andy let out a breath.

"I'm really sorry, Nick," she said finally and he just nodded again. "You know that it's not something I did lightly, right? I _care _about you."

"I know," he shrugged. "It's fine, Andy. I'm not going to pretend I'm happy with it, but I am okay. We're okay."

"Good," she smiled. "I should go. I've got to drop something off and pick some stuff up."

"Let me know if you or Swarek need anything," he said and she smiled again.

"Thank you. Have a good shift."

"See you tomorrow."

Andy hurried out to the parking lot so she didn't run into anyone else that would keep her from the hospital any longer. She got into Sam's truck with a smile on her face, weirdly happy to be inside of it again. She dropped her uniform off at the dry cleaners, asking for a rush job. She stopped at Sam's, letting herself in with his keys, and took a quick look around. It looked the same as before. She didn't take too much time looking around, scared she might see some remnants of his relationship with Marlo, and made a beeline for his bedroom. She rifled through his drawers for a couple of pairs of sweatpants and some t-shirts. She grabbed his phone charger and found a pack of playing cards in his bedside table.

Sam had been awake, staring at the ceiling, for an hour. He was already dreading his forced leave from work and the rest of the week in the hospital while Andy was back on duty. When the door opened, he turned and smiled at her. "Hey," he said and she smiled at him, quickly making her way to the other side of the room.

"How are you?" She asked, pulling her chair as close to him as possible. "How'd you sleep?"

"They gave me something to help me, so it wasn't too bad," he told her and she nodded, sitting down. She kicked her shoes off and pulled her knees up to her chest. "What about you? You look better."

"Thanks," she laughed, shaking her head. "I had a rough time falling asleep. But, luckily, you kicked me out so early that once I finally fell asleep it was still a decent hour. I just kept seeing it..."

"Yeah," he nodded, reaching for her hand. "Andy, I'm fine. I'm okay."

"I know," she nodded, lacing her fingers through his. "It doesn't change what happened, though."

"I know," he said, pulling on her hand. She let her feet fall to the floor and she smiled as she leaned closer. He kissed her softly and then rested her forehead against hers. "Did you stop by the station?"

"I did," she said, sitting back and considering whether or not to tell him about running into Nick. Eventually, they would have to talk about the people they were with when they weren't together. "I ran into Traci and Nick. They both wanted to know how you were."

"Yeah?" He asked, his jaw tensing. She just nodded. "You and Collins are okay?"

"We've always been friends," she shrugged, taking her hand from his and placing it on his rough cheek. "It might take some time, but we'll get back to that eventually."

Sam nodded, looking up at her and she got nervous under his gaze. She ran her thumb back and forth on his chin, reassuring him that she was there with _him_.

"How's the truck? Did you get it here in one piece?" He asked, letting the topic of Collins drop. If he kept questioning her choices, she'd get angry and she'd leave him anyway.

"The truck is fine, Sam," she laughed, moving her hand to run through his hair. "I've never done anything to hurt that truck. I think I can drive it better than a squad."

"I think so, too," he agreed, laughing. "Did you go to my place?"

"Yup," she said, pulling her bag to rest on her lap. "I grabbed you some clothes," she said pulling them out and piling them neatly on the table next to his bed. "I also grabbed your phone charger. I called you this morning and it went straight to voicemail."

"Smart thinking," he said, tapping a finger against his head, as she plugged it into the wall and pulled his phone from the top drawer, plugging it into the charger.

"Oh," she said, smiling as she rifled through the bag again. "I also grabbed you some cards. I figured you'd need something to keep you busy."

"You are a genius, McNally."

"I do what I can," she smiled. She put her empty bag down at kicked it to the corner of the room and stood up. She put his clothes into the drawers, keeping them as organized as he usually did. "So, did that little nurse that's in love with you bring you these flowers?" She asked, smelling the bouquet on the window sill.

"Those would be from Noelle, actually," he smirked and she nodded, moving to sit on the edge of the bed near his feet. He moved his right foot to rest near his left knee and she made herself comfortable with the space he made.

"Noelle stopped by after I left?" She asked, running his blanket through her fingers. Sam nodded, watching her and she smiled shyly at him. "Did she bring the baby?"

"Yeah," he said, smiling back. "She loves me."

"Apparently everyone does," she laughed and he shrugged.

"I only care about one."

"She does, too," she smiled and he nodded with a smirk. Andy rubbed her hand up and down his outstretched leg, watching him as he looked through his phone. He looked concerned and it worried her. "Everything okay up there?"

He looked up at her, faking a smile and she narrowed her eyes. "It's fine, McNally," he insisted. "Just... my sister. And Marlo."

"Your sister?"

"She's on vacation," he told her. "She's trying to fly back here to see me. I'm trying to stop her from doing that."

"Sam, she's going to do what she thinks is right," she told him and he nodded. "And if I were her, I'd be on the first plane out."

"Andy, I hate this," he admitted and she nodded. "I don't like people worrying about me. I'm fine. You see that, right?"

"Of course I do, Sam," she sighed. "But maybe that's all Sarah needs- to see for herself. That's exactly what I needed yesterday."

"You two would be best friends," he sighed and she smiled at the thought. "Marlo wants to stop by later today," he said and her smile dropped. "Check up on me."

"I haven't seen her since before the shooting," she told him, resting her hand on his ankle. "How's she doing?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "That's the only text she's sent and it was late last night."

"Sam," she sighed, wringing her hands in her lap. She rested back against the footboard, and pulled her knees to her chest again. "I don't think she's going to take this well," she said, gesturing between them. He nodded, swallowing, and she rested her forehead on her knee.

"She's not blind, McNally," he said, gently pulling on her foot and she shrugged. "She knew it was over before everything happened at the station. It's been over pretty much since the Ford case started."

"She loves you," she told him, looking up at him again,

"I know," he nodded. "She told me that and she said she told you, too. It doesn't change anything, though. I care about her, obviously, and I want her to be okay. But, like I said, she's not blind. She knows how I feel about you. I'm sure she's always known on some level."

"I feel like a monster," Andy admitted, playing with the ends of her sleeves, avoiding his eyes, "I really like her, Sam. I respect her."

"I do, too," he agreed softly and she looked up at him with a sad smile. "But we can't change the way we feel. Obviously," he told her, chuckling and she agreed with a nervous laugh.

"I really do love you," she told him and he smiled.

"I know."

"Good," she smiled, moving to sit on her knees. He put a hand on her thigh to keep her from falling off the bed and she leaned down to kiss him.

"Just give it some time, Andy," he told her. "Everything will blow over. I promise."

"I guess I have to believe you, then," she shrugged, moving to sit at the opposite end of the bed again. They both let their legs stretch out and kept their hands on each others knees and he tickled hers. "Sam, I don't want to hurt you," she said through a laugh, trying not kick him. His hand stilled and she shook her head. "I missed you. I missed this."

"You have no idea, McNally," he said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Sorry this took a while to get up. I started grad school last week, so I may not be able to update as frequently as before. But I 'll do my best. I like having this story as an escape from the harrowing hiatus we've only just begun. **

**As usual, thank you so much for all of the reviews. Please let me know what you think of this chapter! Enjoy!**

Sam was sitting alone in his hospital room later that day. Andy left to have lunch with Oliver so he could have some time alone with Marlo. He wasn't sure if it was for his benefit or her own, but either way he appreciated it. He was not lying when he told her that he cared about Marlo and that he wanted her to be okay. He wanted her to be able to get her life back on track and he would do what he could to help.

When his door opened slowly, he watched her come in and look around the room. He was sure he watched her let out a breath, probably happy to have him to herself for the time being. He was happy to admit that she looked better than she had the last few times he'd seen her. She just looked at him with sad eyes and he watched her from his bed. "How are you?" She finally asked and he smiled.

"I'm fine," he said, shrugging and she nodded, moving to sit in the chair next to his bed. "How are you doing, Marlo?"

"I'm back on my meds," she admitted, crossing her legs.

"Good," he told her seriously. He figured as much as soon as he saw her.

"Yeah," she nodded, looking down at his bandage that was peeking out from under his t-shirt. "I'm not going to be allowed back at work, though."

"I'm sorry."

"It's my fault," she said, shaking her head. "It's probably for the best. Especially since I don't really want to work with my ex and his new girlfriend," she admitted, not unkindly.

Sam sighed, his eyes closed, and nodded. "I'm sorry about that, too," he told her honestly and she shrugged. She didn't seem upset or angry. It kind of seemed like she had accepted it. "If I could go back in time and do things differently, I would."

"Like tell me the truth when I asked you about her the second she came back?"

"Yeah," he said, laughing nervously. "Exactly. I screwed up. I'm sorry."

"Sam," she said, holding up her hand to stop him. "It's fine. I'm okay. I knew better, I just didn't want to believe it. I'm actually surprised she's not here."

"She met Oliver for lunch," he said, not sure why he felt compelled to tell her that. "Um, so, are you still staying with your sister?"

"I don't want to go home and deal with all that mess," she shrugged. "I will, though. I'll go home in a couple of days."

"Good," he said, nodding. "I can help if you need it."

"No thanks," she let out a humorless chuckle. "I appreciate it, but this has to be the last time I see you for a while. I really just wanted to come and see how you were. I've been thinking a lot about you and I needed to see you."

"I'm okay," he assured her and she nodded, standing up. "Thanks for... coming."

"No problem," she said with a tight smile. "Get better."

"I'll do my best. Call me if you need anything."

"Yeah," she said, turning to leave. They both knew that she wouldn't. It was all he could do to offer. As Sam watched her leave, he let out a deep breath and rubbed his face with both of his hands.

He never intended on hurting her. Really. He didn't think that Andy's reappearance after her UC op would rattle him so much. And he didn't want to admit it at the time. So, he strung Marlo along, hurting all three of them in the process. And he hated himself for it.

"Hey," Andy said, and he looked up, surprised. She smiled at him from where she stood by the door and he nodded at her. "I got back a couple of minutes ago. I waited at the end of the hall until I saw her leave. I didn't want to interrupt."

"Thank you," he said quietly and she nodded, swallowing. They watched each other and she got nervous. He looked pensive and a little sad.

"Are you okay, Sam?"

"I will be," he said honestly, shrugging. She smiled again and he smiled back. "Where's Oliver?"

Andy moved across the room finally to sit on the edge of his bed, right next to him. "Dov asked him to check on Chloe," she told him. "Her husband still won't let him see her. But her parents will be in town by tonight and he thinks that they'll be able to get her the surgery."

"Is she still out?" He asked, letting his hand slide underneath her jacket and shirt to rest warmly on her lower back.

"Yeah," she nodded, willing the tears not to fall. "But she's stable and once she gets that surgery, she'll be awake. Hopefully."

"Andy," he said quietly and she turned to look at him. "It's not your fault. You know that, right?"

"I know," she promised, nodding sharply. "But I'm so mad that he got her and that he got you."

"He _could _have gotten you," he reminded her and she just rolled her eyes. "Andy, it could have been a lot worse, okay? There was a whole list of people _including you_ and he only got two of us."

"Neither of you deserved it."

"No," he agreed and she sighed, running her hand through her hair. She leaned in and kissed him softly.

"If we're going to do this," she said, pulling back enough to gesture between them, before resting her hand on his chest. "Then, you need to try not to get shot again. And I'll try, too."

"I'll do my best, McNally," he promised with a smile and she kissed him again. "And, we're doing this. You and me. _This_ is what we're doing."

Andy laughed, biting her lip and he brushed some hair behind her ear and pulled her in for another kiss.

"Unhand her!" Both Sam and Andy turned to see Oliver smiling and they put some space between them. "Thank you," he said, moving to sit in the chair next to them. Andy moved to the end of the bed with her back against the footboard and her legs running along the side of Sam's body.

"How's Price?" Sam asked and Oliver shrugged, looking down at his lap.

"Same, I guess," he said quietly and Andy sighed, closing her eyes. "Her parents are going to be here earlier than expected. Frank's going to keep everybody updated."

"Good," Sam said, squeezing Andy's knee. She looked up at him and smiled sadly. "How are the girls?"

"They're good," Oliver said, smiling now. "They're worried about their uncle Sammy, though."

"Oh yeah?" He asked with a laugh, catching Andy's genuine smile out of the corner of his eye.

"Yeah," Oliver said seriously. "I think they plan on baking you a cake."

"Well, hell, then let them worry."

"How are you feeling?" Oliver asked him and Andy waited for his answer, looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"Better," he told them both, nodding. "They're going to get me up and walking tomorrow."

"Already?" Andy asked, surprised and Sam nodded. "Really?"

"Really," he said, looking right at her with a serious look on his face. He needed her to understand that he really would be okay. "They're very impressed with my progress."

"Well," she said, shrugging. "You are very impressive."

"McNally," Oliver sighed, shaking his head. "Don't boost his ego anymore than it already is."

"You're right," she nodded with a smile she couldn't contain. "We don't need that."

"I would like to point out that I am, in fact, _very _impressive," Sam said with a cocky smirk and both Oliver and Andy just shook their heads. "McNally doesn't need to tell me that. I've known it all along."

"And you're so humble," Oliver told him sarcastically. "It's no wonder she's in love with you."

Andy laughed, hiding her face in her hands, while Sam and Oliver looked on. They exchanged a smile and she finally looked up, tilting her head and smiling herself. Sam looked at her again with an intensity she knew well before breaking into another smile. She licked her lips, looking down quickly, and smiled. "So, are we going to play poker or what?" She asked, changing the subject.

Sam raised his eyebrows and Oliver nodded, picking the pack of cards up from dresser next to Sam's bed. Andy sat on her knees, leaning over Sam, to pull his table over. She settled it between them and made sure Oliver could reach from his seat. Both her and Oliver took off their coats and Andy kicked her shoes onto the floor. She sat cross-legged so she was directly across from Sam and she settled his feet in her lap.

"McNally's dealing," Oliver announced, handing her the cards. She smiled graciously and looked at Sam. He shrugged and she smiled wider, shuffling the deck. He used the remote by his hand to adjust his bed so he was sitting up more and he winced. She stopped shuffling and he shook his head, telling her he was okay. She waited a second before accepting it and shuffled one last time.

"You boys know the deal," she said, starting to deal. "I'm going to win all of your money," she finished, looking directly at Sam who looked at her with a sort of pride.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Honestly, your reviews made me want to get this chapter up ASAP. You all are amazing and make me smile so much! Thanks for all the well wishes on Grad School. Thanks for letting me know you think I'm staying true to the show and the characters. That is so important to me and sometimes I get nervous. **

**As always, please let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy it!**

"Let's go, big guy," Andy announced as soon as she entered Sam's room. He was sitting up in bed, his legs hanging off the side, looking at her like she had three heads.

"You're the one that's late and I'm the one that's getting yelled at?" He asked with a smirk, pushing himself to stand. Andy smiled at him, rushing to help him. "I'm good, McNally," he promised, reaching up to cup her face. He kissed her and she smiled again. "Let's go."

"Do you need to sign any paperwork?" She asked, picking up his bag and slinging it across her torso. He shook his head and she nodded, looking around the room to make sure they weren't forgetting anything. "Did that perky little nurse pack up for you?" She asked, reaching for his hand.

"She did actually," he told her as they entered the hallway. Andy shook her head, but plastered on a fake smile as they passed the nurse in question.

"I hope you're feeling better soon, Detective," she said and Sam nodded with a smile. "Take care of him, Officer."

"Oh, I will," Andy promised and Sam squeezed her hand a little too hard. "Thanks for everything," she said, sounding more sincere.

"Jeez, McNally," he laughed as they entered the elevator. She looked at him innocently and he shook his head. "She's a nurse; it's her job."

"I don't think undressing you with her eyes is in her job description," she countered and he raised his eyebrows.

"Since when are _you_the jealous type?" He asked, crossing his arms and she shrugged, looking down at her boots. "Andy."

"I'm not jealous," she insisted, crossing her own arms and looking at him. When the doors of the elevators opened at the ground floor, she smiled at him and kissed his cheek before heading for the parking lot. She walked slowly so he wouldn't fall behind and let him take her hand.

"McNally," he sighed as they reached the truck and she looked at him expectantly. "What's going on with you?"

"I don't know," she said honestly, swinging their hands back and forth. "I'm _not_the jealous type. But the way she looked at you kind of drove me crazy."

"Why?" He asked, climbing into the passenger seat while she guided him gently. She stood in the doorway as he settled with a hand on the door and the other on her hip.

"Maybe because I just got to start looking at you like that again," she finally answered. He looked at her with sad eyes and she shrugged, offering a smile.

"Okay," he nodded and she closed his door before walking around to climb in the driver's seat. "I'm going home with you," he reminded her when she started the truck and she laughed.

"Only because I won't let you go home alone," she said and he shook his head.

"I want you there," he admitted and she turned and smiled. "Really," he promised and she nodded, turning back to the road and driving to his place.

As soon as she shut the truck off, Sam started opening his door. "Sam!" She yelled, throwing her hand out in front of him. He looked at her, surprised, and she shook her head. "I'm going to help you down. Please."

"Okay," he laughed and she narrowed her eyes at him. He raised his hands in defense and she rushed out of the truck and jogged to meet him at his door. He looked at her like she was crazy, but let her take his hand and help him to the ground. She reached for the bag that was resting at his feet and put it across her body again.

They walked up to his house and she handed him his keys. She stood behind him as he unlocked the door, gently running her hand across his shoulders. Sam got a little nervous once they were across the threshold. It had been awhile since they were alone together in his house and he didn't know what to expect having her there for the next few days. Nerves weren't really Sam Swarek's thing, but when it came to Andy, he couldn't really help them. After she closed the door, he reached back for her hand. Once it was in his, he led her into the living room, stopping short at the sight in front of him.

"Why are there sheets on the couch?" He asked, looking back at her and she looked at him like it was obvious.

"I'm staying here for a few nights," she reminded him, tossing his bag onto the couch. He nodded, waiting for more and she looked at him, confused.

"So, why are there sheets on my couch?" He asked again, letting her hand fall and crossing his arms.

"Because I'm staying here-"

"I get that, McNally," he laughed, putting a hand out to stop her from continuing. She took her jacket and tossed it on top of his bag, understanding what he was getting at, and she got a little worried. She really wasn't expecting to stay in his bed with him. Especially since he was injured.

"Sam..." she sighed and he shook his head, pulling her closer by the hands. She smiled up at him shyly and he brushed his nose against hers.

"You're staying with me," he said quietly, his mouth hovering just a hair above her own. She swallowed, nodding, and he smiled before kissing her. She ran her hands up his arms, into his hair, and kissed him back. He hugged her closer around her waist but she pushed back against his chest.

"That's why I don't want to stay with you," she laughed, resting her hands on his shoulders. "I don't want hurt you."

"I think it would hurt more if I knew you were asleep on my couch instead of next to me in bed," he countered, sliding a piece of hair behind her ear and smirking. She couldn't help but smile back. "I'll behave, McNally," he promised and she nodded slowly.

She stood tall and kissed him quickly before maneuvering out of his grasp. She threw her coat and his bag on the floor and stripped the couch of his sheets. "Sit down," she advised and he nodded. As he sat, she took the sheets and his bag into his bedroom. She threw his clothes into his hamper and his bag into his closet. On the way back to the living room, she hung her jacket up on a kitchen chair. Sam was watching TV with his jacket resting on the arm of the couch and she sat down next to him.

He smiled at her and she returned it, squeezing his thigh. He let out a breath and put his arm out, inviting her to come closer. She looked at him, worried, and he rolled his eyes before pulling her into his side. "I got shot on the other side," he whispered into her neck before kissing it slowly.

"I know," she sighed, moving her head to allow him more room. She pulled her knees to rest on his lap and used her hand to guide his lips to hers. "I really don't want to hurt you," she said between kisses and he pulled his head back.

"Then stop rejecting me," he said lightly and she grabbed his chin.

"You know what I mean, Sam," she said, and he nodded in her hand. She let him go and he kissed her again.

"I'm really okay," he told her. "It doesn't hurt all that much. You can touch me without me falling apart. I promise."

"The doctor said that you shouldn't even be _reaching_," she told him and he rolled his eyes. "I don't want to accidentally kick you or _knee_ you," she said, moving her legs off of his lap and he sighed. "Give it a few days before you get all Swarek on me."

"I don't know what that means," he smiled, shaking his head and she laughed.

"Relax. Take it easy. Remember that you were shot eight days ago."

"I remember, Andy," he said and she kissed him slowly.

"Good," she said when she pulled her head back. "Then let me take care of you."

"If I remember correctly," he said, twirling the ends of her hair between his fingers. "And I think that I do, you're a bit of a cuddler in bed. You really going to be okay all the way on the other side of the mattress."

"I'll worry about me," she smiled. "You worry about that hole in your stomach, okay? And if you don't think I can, I'll put the sheets right back on this couch."

"You win, McNally," he said, sitting back in the cushions. She smiled triumphantly but stayed in his grasp. "So, why were you so late picking me up?" He asked, rubbing his hand up and down her shoulder.

"Long day at work," she shrugged. "Lots of arrests today."

"Yeah?" He asked and she nodded. "How's everyone doing?"

"It's almost back to normal," she said. "Dov got to see Chloe today, so he was very happy. Her husband is signing the divorce papers. Gail is almost talking to me," she continued and he nodded. "I give it another week and she might finish a sentence."

"Well, that's good," he laughed and she nodded. "Why is she mad at you again?"

"I think it's because I slept with her ex-boyfriend," she said sarcastically and Sam nodded again. She looked at him with a slight smile and rested her forehead against his temple. "I think she prefers me being with you."

"And what about Collins?" He asked, turning so his forehead was against hers. "Are things still weird between you two?"

"Not really," she shrugged. "We were partnered today. It felt almost normal," she told him and he nodded. She figured that things might get worse when Sam came back to work and Nick would have to see them together, but since she wasn't sure that was the case, she wasn't going to mention it. "Luke on the other hand..."

"What is Callaghan's problem?" He asked through a sigh, resting his head against the back of the couch.

"I think he's still mad at me for covering up Marlo's secret," she admitted. "He won't say as much, but he's been very cold toward me. More so than usual. I can't really blame him."

"He should get over it," Sam mumbled and Andy let the topic drop.

"I'm going to make dinner," she said, pushing herself from the couch. "Do you want anything special?"

"Nope," he said, shaking his head and she bent down to kiss his forehead before heading for the kitchen.

Sam pushed himself to stand about twenty minutes later, pausing to will away the pain he had been so great at denying. He knew that it would take some time to feel completely normal, but he didn't want to worry anyone, especially not Andy. He found her in the kitchen, stirring some rice. She turned to look at him and smiled. "Chicken's in the oven. It should be finished in a couple of minutes," she told him and he smiled.

He had to admit, he liked what he saw- Andy in his kitchen, making them dinner. He could definitely get used to it. "What are you staring at?" She asked, smiling.

"Just looking at you, McNally," he shrugged, sitting at his kitchen table. She watched him as he made his way across the kitchen. "What are _you_looking at?" He asked with a laugh.

"Nothing good," she joked turning back to the food and he laughed, biting the inside of his cheek. She smiled to herself before serving them dinner.

When she sat across from him, her feet rested on the chair between them and his free hand rested on her ankle. They ate in silence, but she kept finding him looking at her with an unreadable expression etched across his face. She'd smile and he'd smirk before looking down at his plate. Finally, she put her fork down, her feet on the floor, and her elbows on the table.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" She asked clasping her hands in front of her chest. Sam's eyebrows raised in surprise, but an amused grin played on his lips. "Sam?" She laughed nervously.

"It's weird," he said with a shrug and her face fell. "No, Andy," he continued, holding a hand up. "Not _bad_weird. It's just... been a while. I don't know, we haven't had dinner together in, like, a year."

She smiled a little, looking down to avoid his eyes. "Sam," she said, shaking her head and looking up. "If you don't think I'm freaking out on the inside, then you're crazy. It was actually easier when we were in the hospital," she laughed, running her hands on her thighs.

"Yeah," he nodded sadly and she let out a deep breath.

"I guess it doesn't help that we're already staying together for more than a night," she decided, tilting her head and licking her lips. "But I can't leave you alone right now, Sam. And I don't want to."

"McNally," he sighed. He opened his mouth to say more, but closed it quickly to gather his thoughts. "I don't want you to leave, okay? We've figured this out before," he told her, gesturing between them. "We'll do it again."

"We've changed a lot, Sam."

"I know," he nodded, swallowing.

"I think it's for the best, though," she shrugged and he narrowed his eyes and bit his lip, confused. "We've _grown up_. We're going to work this time because we grew so much after we broke up- _because_ we broke up. We know what we want now. At least," she sighed, sitting back in her chair and looking at him closely. "At least, I do."

"I know exactly what I want," he told her with a smile he couldn't help. She looked down, hiding her smile and he kicked her gently in the shin until she looked at him again.

"Then we'll be okay," she told him and he nodded sharply. "I'm going to make sure of that. I'm not running away this time," she said and he nodded again. "And I'm not going to let you hide anymore. You have a problem, you need to talk to me."

"That's fair," he said quietly and she smiled brightly. She got up and sat in the chair next to him. He used his foot to pull her closer and she hugged him tightly around the neck ignoring the weird angle and the food on the table. He ran a hand down the back of her head and pulled lightly on the ends of hair until she looked up at him. He kissed her slowly, feeling her smile, and then rested his forehead against hers. "We've got this, McNally."

"Yeah, we do," Andy agreed confidently, kissing him again.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Again, THANK YOU for all the reviews. You're amazing, beautiful souls. Luckily, work's been pretty quiet, so I've been able to get some writing done. I'm almost finished the next chapter, too, but I'm wrestling with where I want it to go. So, that might take a couple of days. **

**I needed to up the rating of this story to T. I hope no one minds, but it had to be done haha. Not necessarily for this chapter, but for the coming ones. When I rated it K+ it was only supposed to be a one-shot. Whoops.**

**Keep reading. Keep reviewing. Keep being awesome!**

Andy woke up, stretching her arms above her head. She was pleased to look over and see a good amount of space between her and Sam. It's not that she didn't want to be sidled up right against him, she did. She _really _did. But she knew that if she were to get too close, at some point during the night her leg would have ended up around his waist- dangerously close to his wound.

Sam was still sleeping despite the fact that the alarm on her phone was ridiculously loud. She crawled over to his side of the bed, gently turning his head to face her. She watched as he slowly blinked awake, a lazy smile appearing on his face. She smiled back before kissing him and letting out a satisfied sigh.

"G'Morning," he said, yawning.

"Good morning," she said, not able to keep the smile off her face. She ran her hand down his bare chest and fingered the edge of his bandage. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," he nodded, playing with the ends of her hair. "I should hop in the shower so you can change that for me."

"Yeah," she nodded, looking up at him again. "Do you need any help?"

"No," he laughed, running his hand down the side of her body until it rested on her hip. "I've got it."

"Okay," she smiled, kissing him quickly. "Go ahead. I'll make coffee."

Andy sat up on her knees and helped him to sit up, guiding him with her hands on his elbows. When he was up and his feet were hanging over the side, she moved so she was directly behind him. She hugged him around his chest and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Thanks," he said, resting the side of his head against hers.

"Anytime," she said, kissing his cheek. She climbed around him and helped him stand. When he was in front of her, on his feet, he slid his hands underneath her t-shirt and rested them on her back. "Oliver's going to be here soon," she laughed, running her fingertips through the hair on his chest.

"Ugh, fine," Sam sighed dramatically, throwing his head back before kissing her slowly. Andy smiled and gently pushed him toward the bathroom, watching him go. She let out a deep breath, smiling to herself, before heading for his kitchen.

She knew her way around the room like she'd never left it. Nothing about Sam's house seemed to change in the year since they had broken up and it was an odd source of comfort. While she waited for the coffee to brew, she pulled out two mugs.

She found herself pulling his sweatpants over her hips; every time she took a step, they slid further down. No matter how long Sam had a pair of sweatpants, there was never a drawstring involved. He always made sure to pull them out for whatever reason and it really only effected the way they fit on Andy. She should have taken it as a sign to not wear his sweatpants, but it didn't stop her. As the coffee finished up, she rolled the pants at the waist a few times hoping that would last from his kitchen to his bedroom.

As she poured the coffee, she heard the shower stop running and the bathroom door open into Sam's room. "Are you decent?" She yelled playfully as she neared the door and he chuckled.

"I'm decent, McNally," he told her and she continued walking to find him in a clean pair of pants. She smiled at him and he shook his head. "Nothing you haven't seen before."

"Hey, I don't want to intrude on your privacy," she shrugged, handing him a mug.

"Please, intrude," he smirked and she laughed setting her coffee on his dresser. He took a long sip of his, watching her over the rim, before setting it down next to hers.

"You should lay down," she said, nodding toward his bed and he sighed. She watched him make his way back to bed, lying in the middle, and she grabbed the bag the doctor had given him. It held all of the things necessary to change the dressing on his wound. At the moment, there was no bandage and Andy grimaced as she let her eyes linger on it.

"It's fine, Andy," he told her and she snapped her eyes up to his, nodding. She swallowed and climbed onto the bed with him, her knees on either side of his. "What _are _you doing?" He asked, a laugh lacing his voice and she smiled, rolling her eyes.

"I'm getting the best angle to cover that monstrosity up," she laughed, resting back on his shins. She was a little too far away to reach, so she shimmied further up his legs until she was sitting on the very bottom of his thighs. "You okay?" She asked carefully and he nodded. She nodded to herself and went about bandaging his abdomen.

"Where are your notes?" He asked sarcastically. The funny thing was, he had watched her take notes a couple of days before while the nurse went over the procedure.

"I've got it covered," she promised, paying very close attention to what she was doing. He watched her the whole time, shivering as her fingers made their mark on his skin. When she was finished, she sat back and took stock of her work. "I think I did okay," she decided.

"Looks good to me," he said, finally looking down at the new, clean bandage. She smiled, proud, and rolled off of him. Before she had the chance to get out of bed, he was hovering above her, resting on his elbows.

"Sam," she said sharply even though her arms were making their way around his neck.

"McNally," he said just as sharply and she laughed.

"Get off of me," she told him weakly and he nodded, moving his lips to cover hers. Her hands tangled in his hair at the base of his neck and she had to remind herself not to wrap her legs around his body.

The space between the rest of their bodies was excruciating for Sam, but so was the pain in his stomach. He kissed her slowly, but eventually had to push himself away. She immediately let her hands fall from around him and he rested on his back. "This is going to get old fast," he sighed and she nodded.

"Take it easy, okay?" She asked and he nodded. "I'm going to take a shower and get dressed. I won't be long," she promised, pushing herself out of bed.

Sam sighed again, rubbing his hand up and down his face furiously. He slowly pushed himself to stand and made his way over to his dresser. He pulled out a long sleeved t-shirt and pulled it on, wincing the whole time. He finished his coffee in a couple of gulps and went to the kitchen to refill.

After he poured himself a bowl of cereal and sat down at the table to eat it, Andy rested against the counter in her towel. He looked up at her and his eyes widened as he swallowed hard at the sight and she blushed.

"It seems I, uh, forgot to pack my own bag," she told him and he laughed. "It's not funny. Now I have to wear the same clothes I wore yesterday."

"Check my bottom drawer," he told her before taking a bite of his cereal. When he looked up again, Andy was looking at him with her eyebrows raised and her lips pursed- confused. "Just do it, McNally," he laughed and she pushed herself away from the counter, watching him as she made her way back to his room.

Andy used her foot to open the bottom drawer of his tall dresser and nearly gasped at what she found. In a second, she was on her knees, rifling through a pile of her clothes. She found jeans she thought Gail had borrowed and shirts she swore got eaten by her dryer. She found clean underwear and bras. A good portion of her wardrobe that she had forgotten about or deemed missing were sitting in the bottom drawer of Sam's dresser. She smiled to herself, running her tongue along her bottom teeth, and pulled out an outfit.

By the time Sam was finished with his cereal, Andy was leaning against the entryway between the kitchen and the hallway watching him. "Can I help you?" He asked, feigning innocence.

"We never really did the exchanging of each other's things, I guess," she said and he shook his head. "Why did you leave them in there? Weren't you worried your girlfriend might find them?"

At that, Sam laughed and stood up. She raised an eyebrow as he put his dishes in the sink and made his way to stand in front of her. "Marlo wasn't really the type of person to go through my drawers," he told her and she nodded. "And she never stayed here much anyway."

"Well, then," she said, standing up straight and reaching for his hand. "How did they all end up here without me leaving naked?"

He laughed again, pulling her closer. "You were pretty good at bringing clean clothes and leaving the dirty ones," he explained and she nodded.

"That does sound like me," she shrugged. "Why didn't I ever know about that little stockpile?"

"I don't know. You were never around when I did laundry," he shrugged. "And I never thought of it. But good thing I kept it."

"Yeah," she laughed, standing tall to kiss him. "Thank you."

"No problem," he smiled and she gasped, letting his hand fall. "What?" He asked, stepping closer.

"I forgot to give you your gift!" She said, shaking her head.

"What gift?" He asked, following her to the bedroom. "What are you talking about?"

He watched as she rifled through her work bag, pulling out a wrapped gift. "It's from your rookies," she announced with a smile, handing it over.

He looked at it and then at her with his eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Just open it, Sam," she sighed, shaking her head. He did what he was told, unwrapping it to find the new Grand Theft Auto game. "It was Traci's idea to get you a gift. It was Dov's idea to get you a videogame. I know you don't play them that often, but I figured since you have three more weeks of leave that you'd need something to do."

"No, this is awesome," he insisted, turning the package over.

"Chris and Nick picked it out," she said and he looked at her again, biting his lip at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. "Gail and I just handed over our money."

"Well, thank you," he smiled, pulling her closer by the end of her sleeve. She smiled and kissed him. "Tell everyone else I said thanks."

"I will," she nodded before kissing him again. Just then there was a knock on the door and she glanced back at the clock next to his bed. "That's Oliver," she said, taking the wrapping paper from him. "I'll be right out."

"Okay," he nodded, kissing her quickly before going to let Oliver in.

Andy walked out behind him but headed in the opposite direction, toward the kitchen. She tossed the torn wrapping paper into the trash and listened as Oliver and Sam discussed the videogame. She smiled and poured herself a another coffee, this time in a travel mug. She went back to his room, going to her work bag again to toss her dirty clothes in his hamper. She dropped a sweatshirt into it and closed it, looking around the room before deciding she was ready to go.

She entered the living room, pulling on her jacket, to find Sam and Oliver already playing. She watched them for a second until Sam turned and smiled at her. She smiled back, moving to stand behind him. He paused the game causing Oliver to curse.

"What the hell?" He asked, looking over to notice Andy for the first time. "Oh, hey McNally."

"Hi," she laughed, running her hand over Sam's head. He sat up, straighter, and rested his head on the back of the couch so he was looking up at her. Oliver took the hint and turned back toward the television. "Be careful today, okay?" She said quietly and he nodded.

"You, too," he advised and she smiled before leaning over to kiss him. "Have a good shift."

"Thanks," she said, standing up again. "Have a good game," she said, turning toward the door. On her way out, she squeezed Oliver's shoulder and he smiled back at her.

Before she even closed the front door, she heard them unpause the game and she smiled. Her friends would be pleased to know that he liked the gift they got for him.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I'm going to be honest with you, I'm not sure how I feel with this chapter. I think that it's necessary, but I'm still not 100% happy with it. I've read it and edited a bunch, though, and I can't think of any other way for it to go down. **

**Please let me know what you think. I am happy to report, there will be more Sam and Oliver in the following chapter. Love those two!**

Andy strode into Parade a few minutes early and sat down next to Chris. "Sam loved the video game," she reported and he smiled.

"Nice," he nodded. "Dov and I played last night for hours."

"He liked it?" Andy turned around in her chair as Nick sat behind them. She nodded. "Good."

"He asked me to tell you all thank you," she told him and he nodded.

Just then, Gail and Dov walked in and sat on either side of Nick. Gail looked between Andy and Nick before turning to the front of the room. Andy sighed and turned back as Frank started his briefing. She was paired with Nick again and she smiled back at him timidly. He nodded in return before crossing his arms and sitting back in his seat.

"As some of you may know, Chloe is awake," Frank announced and the room erupted in cheers. "She'll be in the hospital for a couple of weeks, but she is doing a lot better after the surgery. And, as of last night, Detective Swarek is home. He should be back to work in three weeks." Andy smiled as more cheers made their way across the room. "Serve, protect, and be careful."

Everyone stood up and Andy followed Nick out to the bullpen. She looked down and rolled her eyes as she passed Luke. "Hey, McNally," he called after her. Both she and Nick turned to look at him. "I need to talk to you."

"I'll meet you at the car?" She asked Nick and he nodded, taking the keys. "What can I do for you, Detective?"

"Swarek's home, right?" He asked, crossing his arms and widening his stance. Andy nodded, wringing her hands behind her back. "I called him a few times this morning. He's not answering."

"He's not supposed to be working, Luke," she told him and he rolled his eyes. "What?"

"_I _am working," he told her. "On one of his cases. I need to talk to him so I can do _my _job."

"Okay. What should I do about it?" She asked, trying hard to keep the edge out of her voice, and he shrugged. "If he's not answering his phone, it has nothing to do with you. It's probably just in his room. He was in the living room playing video games with Oliver when I left."

"Would you mind stopping by his place and asking him to call me?" He asked slowly like she was a child. She didn't mind and she did understand that Luke needed Sam's notes and his input on his case, but then she thought of her partner for the day. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded sharply. "I'll head over there now."

"Thank you, Andy," he said, softer than before, and she cut her eyes to his. He rarely called her by her first name since they broke up.

"You're welcome." He nodded with a half smile before turning back toward his office. She sighed and made her way out to the parking lot and her squad. Nick was sitting behind the wheel, drumming his fingers against the dashboard.

"Ready?" He asked when she slid in. She nodded, looking at him cautiously. "What's up?" He asked, pulling out onto the street.

"Do you mind if we make a stop before we start patrol?" She asked and he shrugged. "Luke needs me to stop by Sam's."

"Okay," he sighed, turning toward his house.

"I'm sorry, Nick," she said quietly and he just shook his head and shrugged. "Take the next right," she advised and he nodded. "Then the fifth left, after the lights."

"Got it," he said, nodding. She continued to watch him and after a second she noticed his shoulders relax and his fingers loosen from around the wheel. As he turned onto his street, she swallowed. "Do you think it'd be okay if I used his bathroom?"

"Should be fine," she assured him. "Just park behind Oliver's car."

Nick did as he was told and they made their way up his front steps. She tried the doorknob and it was unlocked, so she let herself in. "Hello?" Sam called out, clearly distracted by what he was doing.

"It's just me," she announced, turning into the living room. Oliver paused the game and they both turned to look at her. She would have laughed at the expressions on their faces at seeing Nick, but she was too on edge. "Nick, the bathroom's down that hall on the right," she told him, pointing.

"Thanks," he said, putting his hands into his jacket pockets. "How are you guys feeling?" He asked, nodding toward Sam and Oliver on the couch.

"Good," they said in unison. He nodded and smiled at them before walking ahead to the bathroom.

"What's up?" Sam asked, swallowing past the lump in his throat.

"Luke needs you to call him," she said. "He's working on one of your cases and he needs some help."

"Oh, okay," he shrugged. "Why are you here?" He asked with a furrowed brow.

"Well, he said you weren't answering your phone," she shrugged, looking toward his bedroom. "So, he asked me to come talk to you."

"Right," he nodded, starting to push himself up. Both she and Oliver put their hands on his shoulders.

"I'll grab it, Sam," she offered with a smile. "Just sit tight."

"Thanks," he said, smiling tightly back. She hurried toward his room, passing Nick on the way.

"I'll be right out," she told him, looking nervously from him to the back of Sam's head.

"I'll be right there," he said, pointing to the living room. She nodded, swallowed, and turned into Sam's room.

She immediately found his phone on his bedside table and saw the three missed calls and one text message from Luke. When she went back to the living room, Sam and Oliver were on the couch where they had been all morning and Nick was sitting in the chair in front of the window. The three of them were passing the video game case back and forth, talking about it.

"Yeah, Chris and I were going to pick up our own copies, so we got yours," Nick shrugged. "I'm glad you like it. I wasn't sure if you were a videogame guy."

"I'm not," Sam laughed, shrugging. "But I've got a lot of time to kill, so it's great. Thanks again."

"No problem," Nick said, noticing Andy. He stood up and Sam turned to look at her too.

"Here you go," she smiled, handing him the phone. "Play nice."

"Are you talking about the game or Callaghan?" Oliver asked and Andy laughed, shaking her head.

"How about both?"

"I'll play nice," Sam promised and she smiled. "I'll see you tonight. Later, Collins."

"Bye guys," Nick said, walking past Andy and out the door.

"Bye," Oliver called out after him before turning back to Andy. "You could have just called me," he said and she closed her eyes.

"I didn't even think of that," she said, shaking her head. She sighed and looked at Sam. "All right, well, have fun today."

"Thanks," Sam said, licking his lips. Both he and Oliver watched her leave and then turned toward each other.

"You okay, pal?" Oliver asked, turning his game controller over in his hands.

"I'm fine," he shrugged. "Collins is a good guy."

"Oh, I know," Oliver said, nodding enthusiastically. "I know that. But, uh..."

"Yeah," Sam said, cutting him off. "It's fine, Ollie. I'm fine."

Sam didn't want to talk about Andy and Nick's relationship. He didn't know the details, but he had assumed they would have gotten together eventually. He pretty much sent her right into his arms after they broke up, so he had no reason to be upset about it. He had no right to be upset with _her_. And he wasn't. He understood how they ended up dating and if Andy wanted to be friends with him, then he had to respect that.

"You gonna call Callaghan?" Oliver asked, a smile playing on his lips. Sam sighed and then chuckled.

"Shut up," he said, dialing his number. Oliver smiled wider, truly amused with himself. He may have felt a little badly for Sam having to contend with Andy's exes, but he enjoyed ragging on him too much. "Hey Callaghan. Sorry I didn't answer earlier. What's up?"

He answered all of Callaghan's questions, ignoring the pointed stares from Oliver. When he finished his phone call, he sighed and Oliver clapped him on the back. "Ready to be destroyed?" He asked, waving the game controller in front of Sam's face.

"Are _you_?" He laughed, tossing his phone gently onto his coffee table. Oliver rolled his eyes, unpausing the game, and took a deep breath. "So, where's my cake?" Sam asked after a few minutes, his eyes trained toward the TV.

"I'll have it for you tomorrow," Oliver laughed. "They're coming over tonight and Celery's going to help them with it."

"Oh god, there's not going to be, like, potions in it, right?" Sam asked, tilting his head and biting his lip.

"I'll make sure there's not," Oliver promised, mirroring his best friend. After a minute, without looking over, he asked, "So, are you and McNally sleeping together?"

"Whoa," Sam said, sitting up and pausing the game. Oliver threw his hands up and turned toward him. "That's a little personal."

"Oh, please," Oliver laughed, rolling his eyes. Sam raised his eyebrows and sat back. "Is it the gunshot wound? Or something else?"

"We haven't really talked about it," Sam shrugged, looking down at his lap. "But I'm gonna go with the gunshot wound."

"Yeah, of course you are," Oliver chuckled, studying him. "It's probably for the best," he shrugged and Sam looked at him again. "I mean...you did just get shot, Brother," he laughed and Sam nodded.

"Let's just..." he trailed off, nodding toward the TV. Oliver nodded and got comfortable again.

Sam sighed and focused on the game again. The doctors never mentioned that he shouldn't be having sex, but he figured it fell under "strenuous activity." And he also figured Andy would feel the same way. She was afraid of hugging him, sleeping with him probably wasn't even on her mind. It was definitely on his, though. When they had gone to bed the night before, it took him way too long to fall asleep knowing she was on the other side of the bed. He told her that it would hurt more if she was on the couch, but he may have been wrong. Having her so close and not being able to do anything about it was _hard_. He remembered what it was like to be with her. And he wanted to get back to that as soon as he could. But it scared him, too.

Reaching that level of intimacy again- it was terrifying. It was what he wanted, though. He told her the night before that he knew exactly what he wanted. And what he wanted was _everything _with _her_.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: This is kind of, sort of an important chapter. I'm kind of, sort of nervous about it. As promised, there's more of the Sam/Oliver bromance. It's my favorite. And don't worry, there's some Sam/Andy lovin' in there, too. **

**Thank you for all of the reviews and all of the feedback. I love that you guys are so passionate. It's great. Seriously, I love you all. Keep it up. Tell me your thoughts. Let's get through this hiatus together.**

**PS: I've been listening to this song, called "Last Love" by Matrimony and it always makes me think of McSwarek and this story. Give it a listen if you want, I think it's FANTASTIC.**

"I can't do this anymore!" Sam yelled, tossing his controller on the cushion between him and Oliver. Oliver looked at him and gently placed his own controller down. "I need to get out of this house."

"Let's go get lunch," Oliver suggested and Sam sighed, nodding. "It's gonna be a long three weeks, huh?"

"Day one and I already want to kick in my TV," Sam laughed, pushing himself to stand carefully. Oliver watched him, his hand following his movements, before getting up himself. "Maybe the videogame wasn't the _best _idea."

"Well, we have been playing it for..." Oliver trailed off as he checked his watch and then let out a deep laugh. "_Four and a half hours_."

"My kids are never playing videogames," Sam said, shaking his head. He noticed a knowing smile on Oliver's face. "Don't," he warned and Oliver just laughed.

"Kids, park on Sundays," Oliver said, wistfully quoting Sam's confession from the cabin. Sam shook his head and pinned Oliver's coat against his chest. "Ah, jeez," he laughed, taking it and putting it on.

"Let's go," Sam said, pulling on his own jacket.

"Where to?"

"Wherever they serve food," Sam shrugged and Oliver sped through the front door. Sam nodded to himself and followed him out, much slower. By the time he closed his front door and made sure it was locked, Oliver was getting into his car. He made his way to the passenger side and climbed in carefully. "Thanks for all the help, man," he said sarcastically and Oliver shrugged. "Isn't that why you came over? Not to play Grand Theft Auto?"

"You look okay to me, Brother," he said, looking him up and down, and Sam shook his head. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he admitted. "It's just, you know, the principle."

"Screw principle," Oliver laughed, driving away from the house.

Sam sat as far back in his seat as he could and rested his head against the window. He really was not the kind of guy who sat in front of his TV all day and it was all he had to do until he was cleared to go back to work. The thought alone drove him crazy and he found himself angry for the first time since he was shot. Before, he was annoyed, sure, but he was _mad _now. He was angry at Ford, he was angry at Marlo, he was angry at himself. The hole in his stomach was just a reminder of all of the things he'd done wrong in the past few months, the things Marlo had done that ended up hurting everyone, the things Ford had done to his division and what he could have done.

"Here okay?" Oliver asked as he pulled into his favorite diner.

"Here's great," Sam nodded. He cracked his knuckles and clenched his fists a couple of times as Oliver parked.

"Sammy, Brother, are you alright?" He asked, turning off the car and looking at him.

"How mad were you when you got shot?" Sam asked, opening his door. Oliver jumped out first to make sure he got to the ground safely before answering.

"I was pretty mad at first," he admitted as they walked toward the entrance. "But, I got less angry and more... determined, I guess. The guy that shot me was a bad person and so was Ford. Both of them are dead now, Sam. They can't hurt us anymore. The guy that shot me can't hurt anymore little girls. That's why we do what we do. We stop bad people from doing bad things."

Sam sighed as they slid into an open booth, waiting for their waitress. "I won't be stopping any bad people while I'm stuck at home by myself for three weeks," Sam told him and Oliver nodded before looking down at his menu.

"You will be soon enough," he promised. "Keep taking it easy and maybe you'll get back to work faster. Even if you don't, if you push yourself too hard you're going to regret it."

"Yeah," Sam sighed, opening his menu even though he knew it pretty well.

Not long after the food was served, Oliver asked, "So, have you even told McNally how you feel?"

Sam looked up from his sandwich and put it down. "Of course I have," he said flatly and Oliver shook his head while he finished chewing.

"No, I mean," he swallowed. "Have you told her what you told me that night at the cabin?"

"Oh, then, no," Sam shrugged, picking up a french fry. "I think we've been back together for a little over a week and I don't want to freak her out."

"Does she really scare that easy?" Oliver asked and Sam tilted his head, thinking it over.

"No," he admitted. "At least I don't think so. She's talked a lot about her future, but I've never thought about my own _until_ her. We've never talked about a future together, not even at our best."

"Maybe it's time to do that," Oliver suggested gently. Sam almost laughed at the look on his face- like he was afraid Sam would bite his head off.

"Probably," Sam agreed and Oliver let out a breath and smiled. "We made a deal, me and McNally."

"What kind of deal?"

"She can't run away anymore and I can't hide."

"Wow, you two are really growing up, huh?" Oliver asked, sitting back and crossing his arms. Sam just shrugged and ate another fry. "Well, good. It's about damn time you two figured it out."

"Thanks, buddy," Sam laughed, shaking his head.

* * *

At the end of her shift, Andy walked into the station to find Traci waiting by the locker rooms. "Want to grab a drink?" She asked as Andy and Nick got closer.

"I can't tonight," she told her, checking her watch. "But how about tomorrow night?"

"Yeah," Traci smiled. "I can make that work."

"Great," Andy said, smiling herself. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Have a goodnight, you two," Traci said before heading toward the parking lot. Andy watched as Steve came around a corner and she smiled as they walked out together.

"Goodnight, Andy," Nick said, stirring her back to him. He smiled- a real smile.

"Goodnight, Nick," she said with her own smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He nodded before ducking his head and turning into the men's locker room. She walked into the women's locker room to find it nearly empty. She got changed quickly in the clothes she had found in Sam's drawer earlier that day and she shook her head, smiling. Things with Sam were surprisingly easy and she knew they had a lot to talk about, but she was happy with where things were headed. Andy wanted to be able to get back to where they once were- even better than where they once were. Since they'd both changed following the breakup, she knew they could, it was really just a matter of time.

She rushed out to his truck and drove to his house. Eventually, she'd have to give up the keys and give him his truck back, but since he was spending the week with Oliver he'd insisted that she use it. As she pulled up, she was surprised to see Oliver's car still on the street. He was supposed to be on his way to pick up his daughters. When she walked inside, she didn't see or hear either of them and she tossed her bag and her jacket onto the couch.

"Ugh," Oliver moaned and she jumped back, holding her hand over her heart.

"What the hell are you doing?" She hissed as he pushed her things off of his chest and sat up.

"What the hell are _you _doing?" He asked. She narrowed her eyes at him as he stood up and checked his watch.

"You were supposed to leave an hour ago," she reminded him and he nodded.

"I fell asleep," he shrugged, pulling on his jacket. "I'll see you tomorrow, McNally."

"Yeah," she laughed, watching him go. "I'll see you tomorrow."

As he shut the door behind him, Andy ventured further into the house. She was about to turn into Sam's bedroom when she found him sitting at the kitchen table with his back to her and his feet propped on the seat across from him. "Why was Oliver asleep on our couch?" She asked, walking toward him. When he turned slowly toward her with his eyes wide and a small smile, she stopped. "_Your _couch. Why was Oliver asleep on _your _couch?" She corrected herself quickly with a red face.

"I went to the bathroom a couple of hours ago and found him like that when I came back. I took a nap and then read here," he told her, the smile never leaving his face. She nodded from where she stood, embarrassed. "You okay, there, McNally?"

"Fine," she said quickly, turning toward the fridge to avoid his gaze. "Dinner?"

"Pizza's on its way," he told her and she sighed, turning back around to find him standing a few feet from her. "You've been here a day and it's already _our _couch?"

"Shut up, Sam," she laughed and he shook his head as he reached for her hips. "It was a simple mistake. Doesn't mean anything."

"I don't know," he shrugged. "It seems very telling."

"Yeah?" She asked and he nodded. "What exactly does it tell you?"

"Lots," he shrugged and she smiled. As she wrapped her arms around his neck, he looked down at her lips. "Most importantly that you like me."

"Well, duh," she laughed, tilting her head.

"Second," he sighed, resting his hands on her back. He was willing to bite the bullet and do what he and Oliver talked about. He was ready. He just needed a little guidance from her. "Second, you, uh, you see that couch being yours one day. Somewhere down the line, we'll be sharing that couch, you know, permanently."

Andy's eyes widened and her arms tightened. He finally looked from her lips back to her eyes so he could read her, but she recovered quicker than he thought she would. "Maybe not that couch in particular," she finally said and he smiled before kissing her hard. "If we're sharing couches, we should both have a say in that couch. Don't you think?"

"I guess that makes sense," he smiled and she nodded. He kissed her again, quickly, and cradled her face in his hands. "Andy, since we're talking about this, do you want to do it for real?"

"_You _want to have this conversation right now?" She asked and he nodded. She regarded him and squinted her eyes. "Okay, let's do it."

They unraveled their arms from around each other and Andy held her hand out for him. Once he took it, she led him into the living room and they sat at opposite ends of the couch. "Am I supposed to start this?" He asked as she rested her back against the arm of the couch and her feet in his lap.

"Well, it was your idea," she said and he nodded, running his hand up and down her calf while he looked straight ahead.

The nerves were back, the ones designated for Andy, and he couldn't look at her just yet. "The night at the cabin with Oliver, he got me talking," he started. He could feel her watching him. "About you."

"What about me?" She asked quietly and he finally looked at her. She smiled at him and he smiled back, running his tongue along the back of his top teeth.

"A future with you," he admitted and her smile grew. The butterflies in her stomach were on speed or something and she could see an unfamiliar sparkle in his eye. She knew he was serious, but she wanted to know more.

"You were with Marlo," she reminded him and he nodded, scrunching his nose. He felt bad about that.

"I know, but it's always been you. You know, you and me, kids, a dog. Something real."

"Why haven't you ever told me any of this?" She asked, moving so she was right next to him and her arm was around his shoulders. He shrugged, looking down at his hands in his lap. "You know, it's everything I want, too. With you."

"Yeah?" He asked hopefully, looking up to meet her eyes, and she smiled again, nodding.

"After we broke up and even when I was with Nick," she said, swallowing. "If I pictured my life five years in the future, ten years, it was you standing next to me. You, me, those kids, that dog."

He laughed, nodding, and wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer. She kissed him, running her hand down the back of his head with one hand as her other hand caressed his cheek. He pulled away, licking his lips, and rested his forehead against hers. "I'm an idiot, Andy," he said and she shook her head. "I am. I screwed things up so many times."

"But we're here now," she reminded him, resting her hand against his chest, over his heart. "But I do want to know something. Actually, I probably don't, but..."

"What is it, McNally?" He interrupted and she pulled back, bracing herself. She sat cross-legged on the middle cushion as he waited.

"Why _did _you break up with me?" She asked and he closed his eyes. "Sam, I just- I need to know."

"After everything with Jerry," he sighed, opening his eyes and looking right into hers. "I couldn't be the person that you needed, the person you deserve."

"I did need you," she told him quietly. "I've always needed you-more than I ever even realized."

"What are you talking about?"

"I was an idiot," she laughed. "For two years while I was with Luke. You were always the one who was there for me. You were the one I turned to. You had my back."

"I will _always _have your back," he told her, swallowing and she nodded. "No more hiding, right?"

"No more running away," she agreed.

"I love you," Sam whispered and Andy smiled. She knew that she wasn't going to hear that very often- he was more the type of guy to _show _his love than vocalize it. But it was nice to hear and even nicer to see the truth behind it.

"Yeah," she nodded, moving so her legs made a bridge over his lap and her arm was around his shoulders again. "I love you, too."

Without hesitation, his arm wrapped around her waist and his hand ran up her arm until it was at the base of her neck. His lips were on hers in a second as she fisted his shirt, trying to pull him closer. As he was about to push her to lie down, the doorbell rang and she pushed herself away with a laugh. "Pizza," he said and she nodded, standing up. He reached into his pocket for the money, but she pushed his hand away and smiled.

"I've got it," she promised and he nodded.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Here's what I think is a fun chapter. It takes place at the Penny. We've got some growth going on here and even more coming up. I love it when these crazy kids figure out their mess. If only we could watch it in season 5, am I right?**

**Anyway, as usual, thanks for all of the reviews. You're still the best and I still love you. Let me know what you think about this chapter and maybe, just maybe, I'll keep on updating ;)**

Andy sat alone in the Penny, watching the door for her friends. It was the night before Oliver's first shift back and he was planning on stopping in with Celery. She smiled as Chris and Dov walked in and joined her, followed shortly by Traci, Steve, and Gail. Nick was the last to join them and he hesitated for only a second before sitting down in the only empty chair between Andy and Gail. Andy watched him sit down before looking over at Traci who offered a gentle smile.

More and more people filed in and sat around them as Andy slowly sipped on her beer, listening to Dov tell a story about one of his arrests earlier in the day. Suddenly, the door opened and the bar broke out in a round of applause and loud cheers. She and her friends joined everyone else in a standing ovation, but she almost fell over when she noticed Sam standing next to Oliver and Celery. Traci looked back at her with an eyebrow raised and Andy shrugged. It wasn't long until Sam's eyes found hers and they shared a small smile.

Once the applause died down, she sat again while most everyone else went up to shake their hands or kiss their cheeks. Andy kept her eyes on Sam until Traci sat next to her again. "They look good," she said and Andy nodded. "I didn't think Sam was coming."

"I didn't either," she laughed. "Oliver must have talked him into it."

"Probably," Traci nodded as the rest of their friends joined them. "How are you two doing? It's been a week since you started staying with him, right?" She continued quietly.

"Five days," Andy corrected. "But we're really good," she reported, not able to keep the smile from her face. She looked past Traci, at Steve talking to Gail. "How are you guys?"

"Good," Traci nodded, smiling. "We're good."

"Good," Andy laughed, taking a drink. Sam and Oliver were sitting at the bar now and she looked around to see the rest of their friends in conversations. "I'll be right back."

Traci nodded as she got up and made her way to the bar. She waited behind a couple of people who were wishing both him and Oliver well. When she finally reached Sam, he was determined to finish the drink put in front of him. He nearly choked when he felt her hand on the back of his neck and she bit her lip while he regained his composure. "Hey," he said after clearing his throat.

"Hi," she said, reaching behind her to pull a stool up. She ran her hand down his arm and sat down. "What are you doing here?" She asked with a smile.

"Had nothing better to do," he shrugged. "I knew you'd be here which meant you wouldn't be at my place and I'd be alone."

"You're going to be alone tomorrow," she reminded him and he rolled his eyes. "How are you doing?" She asked, looking quickly toward his wound despite the fact it was covered in a number of layers.

"I'm fine," he promised and she nodded. "How was work?"

"Pretty boring," she admitted. "I was on desk with Gail. So, pretty quiet, too."

Sam looked back at the table of her friends and his eyes fell on Peck. She was smiling into her phone and looked to be in a perfectly fine mood. He knew that she was mad at Collins and Andy, but he couldn't imagine it would last forever. "She's still not talking to you?" He asked and she shook her head. "So, I guess that complete sentence won't be coming this week?"

"Nope," she said sadly. "It's my fault," she shrugged, looking back quickly before shaking her head a few times. "Anyway, do you mind if we stay at my place tonight? You can drop me off at work on the way home in the morning."

"We can do that," he smiled and she nodded.

"Great," she smiled. "Come get me when you're ready to leave," she told him before standing up. He nodded at her and she moved to put her arm across Oliver's shoulder as she stood between him and Celery. "Can't wait to see you back at work tomorrow."

"You don't even know, McNally," he laughed and she smiled before turning around.

She was caught off guard when Sam reached behind him and grabbed onto one of her belt loops. She spun around until she was next to him again and he smiled, raising his eyebrows. "Wow, you're definitely getting your strength back," she laughed and he nodded.

"Here," he said, sliding a drink over to her. She looked down at it and then up at him again. "I owe you a drink," he shrugged and she smiled.

"You don't, but thank you," she said before kissing him quickly on the cheek.

"Go," he told her, nodding to her friends. "I'll see you in a little bit."

"Thank you, Sam," she said again and he smiled. She smiled once more before turning back to sit next to Traci again.

"Andy, darts?" Dov suggested, nodding toward the free dartboard. She thought about it for a second before nodding. They walked over with Chris and Nick, who they were playing against, and she leaned against one of the tall tables as Dov threw his first round.

"It's good to see them back out," Nick said, leaning next to her and nodding toward Sam and Oliver. She looked back at them with a smile.

"It is," she agreed, turning to look at him again. "Oliver can't wait to get back to work."

"What about Swarek?"

"He would have been back last week if he had the choice," she shrugged, looking back again. "He's got an appointment with the doctor in a couple of days. I'm sure he'll be asking to get back sooner."

"I'd be the same way," he admitted and she nodded. "He's lucky he has you."

She looked at him, surprised, and he smiled. "Nick..."

"Don't worry, Andy," he promised, standing up straight. "I'm happy for you guys. It's..." he trailed off, looking down at his drink. "It's right and you're clearly happy. That's all that matters."

She put her drink down and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. It took him a second, but he responded with his arms around her waist. "Thank you," she told him, backing away.

"You're welcome," he laughed, shrugging. "We're friends, right?"

"Right," she nodded and he smiled as Dov finished his round. "I think you're up."

"Looks like it," he said putting his drink down and walking to the board to collect the darts.

She watched him throw the first one before turning around and leaning her elbows on the table. Her eyes found the back of Sam's head and she could see him talking animatedly to Oliver, but it didn't take long for him to turn around. They smiled at each other from across the room, but his attention was requested with a clap on the back from his best friend. He watched her only a second longer before answering Oliver's question.

"I think we were three years on the job," he said and Celery laughed. "The guy elbowed me in the groin and then just passed out on Oliver."

"And he wasn't a little guy," Oliver laughed. "He knocked me down and Sam was in so much pain that it took him a couple of minutes to roll him off of me."

"Definitely not a little guy," Sam agreed before taking a long sip of his drink. He turned back to look at Andy again, but she was up at the dartboard, so he watched her throw a couple of good ones until her last one landed right in the bulls eye. He smiled proudly to himself and turned back to rest his elbows on the bar.

"She and, uh, Collins are good?" Oliver asked and he nodded.

"Yeah, she told me it was weird at first, but they seem to be friends again," he explained and Oliver nodded.

"And you're okay with that?"

Sam took a drink and looked at him. "I want them to be friends if that's what she wants," he said honestly. "He means a lot to her. I trust them."

"She's lucky, you know?"

"Because I trust her?" He asked with a laugh and Oliver shrugged.

"There's more to it than that and you know it," he insisted and Sam shrugged, twisting his glass in circles. "You're a good guy, Sammy."

"I could be better," he said easily and Oliver laughed. "But thanks. You, too, you know."

"Thanks, Brother."

They clinked their glasses before taking a drink and they heard Andy's cheers from the other side of the bar. When they turned, she was hugging Epstein and accepting high fives from Diaz and Collins. Sam took another drink and shook his head.

"Are you ready to get back to work?" Sam asked Oliver who nodded enthusiastically. "I can't wait."

"Take the time you have left," Oliver said, beckoning for another drink. "Because once you get back, you're going to be stuck behind a desk for a week or two."

"I'd rather be behind a desk than on my couch."

"You say that now," Oliver laughed, accepting his drink with a smile. "Seriously, Sammy, the next couple of weeks will fly by."

"You're such a liar," he laughed and Oliver nodded again. They both knew that Sam was going to hate the next two weeks. Andy had four days off scattered through the next fourteen and the other ten, he'd be sitting alone at home. He'd be playing that same video game or watching the same TV shows. He'd be bored.

* * *

A while later, after another round of drinks and darts, Andy found herself leaning her elbows against the bar. She was directly across from Sam now, watching him laugh and talk to a number of people. As she licked her lips for what felt like the hundredth time, Traci put her hand on her shoulder, shaking her out of a trance. "You're drooling," she said lightly and Andy let out an uneasy laugh. Traci smiled and looked at what Andy had just been staring at. "You're not sleeping together," she accused and Andy narrowed her eyes at her. "Don't give me that look. I know you, Andy."

"It's starting to be an issue," she admitted, looking at Sam again. He caught her eye and raised a worried eyebrow. She smiled tightly and waved him off. "A real issue," she said, turning back to Traci.

"What's stopping you? He seems like he's in good enough shape that he could handle it."

"I don't know," Andy said, shaking her head. "I think it might be too soon. It's only been two weeks since he got shot."

"Since he got shot or since you two got back together?" Traci asked and Andy looked at her with sad eyes. "You told me yourself that you two are solid. If it's the injury, fine. But if it's your relationship..."

"We are _really_ good," Andy interrupted her, standing up straight. "We've talked more in the past two weeks than we ever have before. We're on the same page for the first time maybe... _ever_."

"So, then, you're scared of what that means?" Traci asked and Andy lifted her shoulders up before letting them drop with a deep sigh.

"What if I want too much too soon? What if we're not _actually_on the same page? What if he walks away and I'm left out in the cold again?"

"Andy," Traci said, gently running her hand across her back. "You don't believe that. You can't. Because he has not looked away from you once since he first found you looking at him. He's moved to get up and come over here a few times, but then stops himself when he realizes we're having a moment. He's worried about you right now and he knows something is wrong just by looking at you. He wants _just_as much as you do... if not more."

Andy hazarded another glance at Sam who was, in fact, still watching her. This time, her smile was genuine and she could see him physically relax from across the room. "See?" Traci asked and Andy could hear the smile in her voice. "Don't worry about it, okay? Don't over think it."

"You're right," Andy shrugged. "Come on," she said, nodding toward their friends and Traci followed her back to the table.

The group of them was eventually joined by Holly who sat next to Gail and the two got lost in each other almost immediately. Steve and Traci were paired off to the side, heads close, talking about something that kept making Traci smile and blush. Andy looked on with a smile, happy that Traci was finally allowing herself to enjoy life again. She turned to look at the boys in an intense conversation about something she couldn't even pretend to be interested in and smiled again. When she felt a hand low on her back, she turned around, surprised, but smiled when she noticed Sam.

"Want to get out of here?" He asked with a low, husky voice that made Andy's head spin. She didn't trust herself to talk without squeaking or embarrassing herself, so she just nodded. He backed away from her and she stood up, pulling on her coat.

"Have a good night," she called out and everyone turned toward her and offered their own goodnight. With a smile on her face, she turned toward Sam, who motioned for her to lead the way.

They left the bar with his hand on the small of her back and her hands in her pockets. She fingered the keys to his truck and stopped when they reached the parking lot where it had just started snowing. "What's wrong?" He asked when she turned toward him.

"It's time to give these back to you," she said, holding out the keys. He looked at them and used them to pull her closer. "Sam..." she laughed and he shook his head before kissing her slowly.

"I've got my own keys, McNally," he told her, pulling them out to show her. "Keep those."

"If you ever ask for these back, I will kill you," she promised with a smile and he laughed, nodding. "But you should drive. I mean, it is your truck after all."

"It is," he agreed as he held her hand and walked them the rest of the way. He opened the passenger door for her and she climbed in with a smile. After he shut her door, she watched him make his way around the truck and get in next to her.

"Hey, Sam?" She said suddenly as he drove out of the lot and headed toward her place.

"Mmm?" He answers, looking at her quickly and then back at the snowy road.

"I'm glad you came out tonight," she told him and she could see just a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"Oh yeah? Why is that?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, running her fingers through his hair quickly. "I've missed watching you across the bar and finding you watching me. I just like being whatever _this_is again, you know?"

"To be honest," he said, pulling up outside of her building and parking the truck. "I never really _stopped_ watching you."

"Me either," she laughed. "I guess we just looked away faster- didn't want to get caught."

"I better catch you all the time now," he teased. Andy nodded, leaning over the center console, and kissed him hard and fast. "Let's get inside."


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Oh man, I'm terrified to post this. You're gonna love me so much and then you're just... going to hate me. So... yeah. Read, let me know what you think, and I'll post the next chapter soon.**

"Sam," Andy warned when they were standing outside of her door. He'd already pushed her hair off to one side and had his lips against her neck. "Sam," this time it's breathy and her head fell back against his shoulder. She could feel his smile against her skin.

"Just open the door, McNally," he whispered and her head fell once more, this time to the side, as his mouth moved higher. She used her bottom to push him away and he grunted as she turned around.

With her back against the door, she fisted his jacket and pulled him into her body. Her fingers gently pressed against his lips and her eyes searched his. They were dark and confused so she replaced her fingers with her own lips and pulled him closer. "How are you feeling?" She asked when she pulled her head flat against the door. He'd barely caught his breath but he smiled down at her.

"Good as new," he told her and she narrowed her eyes. "Why do you ask?" He knew the answer; she knew he knew the answer. The two of them had been sleeping in the same bed for five nights and each morning he'd wake up to find her closer and closer. That very morning, she had her leg strewn between his and her arm across his chest. When she woke up she was actually stunned to see that she was on top of him and immediately pushed herself to the other side of the bed.

"Sam," she sighed, running her hands from the waist of his jeans to rest on his chest.

"McNally," he said, mocking her and she bucked her hips against his with a scowl. "Okay," he choked out, resting his hands against the door on either side of head. "Okay," he said again, licking his lips and looking at hers. "I promise you, I am _good_. If you want to wait, that's fine. We can wait, but if it's because you think I can't handle it... Well, I can. In fact, I'm having a hard time _not _being with you anymore."

She looked from his lips to his eyes and stood taller to kiss him. "Yeah?" She asked.

He nodded, swallowed, and whispered, "I need you, Andy."

"Oh, man," she said, kissing him harder. The second he said it she knew he meant it and she felt the same way. Her stomach twisted and she smiled against his lips before pushing him away from her. When his hands fell from her waist, he opened his eyes- surprised. "We're actually going to need to get in the house for this to continue, you know."

"Right," he chuckled, putting his hands on her hips to turn her back toward the door. "Then, you should hurry up."

"Okay," she laughed, unlocking the door. Once they were inside, she took her jacket off, laying on the couch, and held out her hand. She was expecting him to hand her his own jacket, but was pleasantly surprised when he gave her his hand instead. She smiled shyly at him and turned toward her bedroom. It wasn't long before he let go of her hand and held onto her hips, walking slowly behind her while he kissed her neck again.

As soon as they crossed the threshold into her bedroom, he turned them around and closed the door with her body. Her hands ran up and around his neck, pulling him closer. Sam's hands slid under her shirt, slowly making their way to her back. She shivered against him, so he stopped and pulled his head back to get a good look at her.

"Andy, we can stop," he told her. She shook her head fast and pulled him in for a kiss. He continued kissing her, but pulled his hands from her body and then hers from around his neck. She whined into his mouth and he laughed.

"Relax," he told her before moving his lips to her collarbone. With one hand, he held her wrists above her head against the door, and used his other hand to slide back underneath her shirt to unhook her bra. She gasped as he pulled it out from under her shirt and he rested his forehead against her neck as he turned to look at it. "Were you planning on seducing me tonight?" He asked, laughing.

"What are you talking about, Sam?" She asked, turning her head to look at his hand. She laughed at the lacy strapless bra he was holding and pushed him off of her. "Why do you think I wanted to come home tonight? I've been wearing that to work for a couple of days."

"You wore this on duty?" He asked, eyebrows raised, and she nodded. She slowly began to unzip her pants and roll down the waist. His eyes darkened and he followed her movements. "No," he choked, looking at the matching underwear. "You did not wear this under your uniform."

"I did," she nodded and he nearly melted against her body. She hugged him around the waist and held him to her as he started kissed her neck again. "I can't tell if you're a boob or a butt man," she said as one hand slid into her back pocket and the other under her shirt.

"McNally," he breathed. "I'm a McNally man," he finished and she guided his lips to hers for a slow, deep kiss.

"You're saying all of the right things tonight," she told him and he smirked.

"It helps that I mean them," he shrugged and she kissed him again.

"It definitely does," she promised as she pushed him gently against the chest. He stepped back, bracing his hands against the wall near her head, and raised an eyebrow. "What about with your other girlfriends? Boob or butt?"

"I don't want to talk about this," he told her and she slowly unzipped his black jacket.

"I'm just curious," she shrugged. "Like, with Monica?"

"Andy," he warned, standing up straight. "Do you really want to talk about my ex-girlfriends _right_ now? What are you doing?"

"I'm talking," she told him and he pointed his glare. "I'm nervous. I talk when I'm nervous."

"Hey," he said softly, cupping her face in his hands and bending his knees to get a good look in her eyes. "Why are you so nervous? What's wrong?"

"I don't know," she said, looking down at her feet. "This is big. We keep going and there's no going back."

At that, Sam let go of her face and stepped away from her. "I wasn't aware we were planning on going back," he said, zipping up his jacket and crossing his arms.

"We're not," she insisted, reaching for him. He held a hand out to stop her and she let her arms fall to her side. "Sam..."

"No, McNally," he said, shaking his head. "I'm going home. You can go _back_."

When she didn't move, he gently put his hands on her shoulders and moved her away from the door so he could open it and slip through. "Sam," she called out, chasing after him. She ran ahead of him and braced herself against the other door. "No. We're talking about this. I do not want to go back."

"I think I'd believe you more if you weren't the one to just bring it up," he told her and she stood taller to be eye to eye with him. "Andy, let me leave."

"No," she said forcefully and he fell back on his heels and crossed his arms. "Sam, please."

"What do you want me to say, McNally?" He yelled, throwing his hands in the air and her face fell. "We've been doing this thing for two weeks, practically living together, and you still want a chance to walk away. I gave you an out in the hospital, I told you that we didn't have to do this if you weren't going to be happy. _You _wanted this just as much as I did."

"I _do_," she said as tears fell from her eyes. "I'm scared, Sam. How can you not be?" She yelled and he laughed humorlessly.

"Andy," he sighed, looking at the door knob. "Move. I'm going home."

"You're hiding," she accused and he looked right at her. Not five minutes ago, his eyes were dark with a need and a passion. Now they were black with anger and hurt.

"Only because you asked for a reason to run away," he hissed and she swallowed hard, crossing her arms. "You did this, Andy. You want to run away, go ahead. But you have to let me leave first."

"I don't want to run," she sighed. "I'm trying to tell you how much I want this to work, okay? And I'm scared that it won't. It's been going so well and what if we have sex and things get ruined?"

"I'm not even going to pretend to understand that logic," he said, shaking his head. "If it's going as well as you say it is, what does sex have to do with anything? If I remember, that was one of the only things we were _good _at before."

"Yeah," she nodded. "And that's pathetic. You can't base a relationship on sex alone, Sam. Clearly."

"You're right," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "So, I guess the past two weeks mean nothing and that we're doomed to fail as soon as we sleep together. Perfect sense, McNally. Really."

"Come on," she said, sighing again, as she stepped toward him. He took the opportunity to reach for the door. "Sam!"

"I also gave you an out earlier," he reminded her, keeping his hand on the knob but turning to look at her. "We didn't have to have sex tonight. We could have waited and just come in here and gone to bed. And before, it wasn't _just _about sex and you know it. We had a real relationship then, too. Sex was a part of it, yeah, like it will be _just_ a part of it this time."

"I wanted tonight to go well," she told him and he squinted at her and pursed his lips, not believing her. "I want to be with you," she yelled, dramatically flinging her arms out to the sides.

"Yeah, well, I want to go home," he shrugged, opening the door. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Sam," she said, reaching for his arm. He turned toward her with sad eyes and she immediately dropped her hand. "I _love _you and I want this to work."

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," he said again and she closed her eyes as the door fell shut behind him.

Andy fell against the arm of her couch and put her head in her hands. She didn't want to cry- they had not broken up. Sam had even said he'd talk to her tomorrow. That was good, they needed to talk. She understood why he needed to get away for the night, even if she believed it was him hiding from their issues. She didn't want to run, no matter what he thought. She just wanted to make sure they were solid and happy. In her gut, she believed they were, but fear of another failed relationship between them was all too real.

After about ten minutes, she heard her phone ringing from her jacket pocket and she reached for the garment lying on the back of the couch. It continued to ring as she rifled through the pockets and she answered it as soon as it was in her hand. "Hello?" She answered, not caring how desperate she sounded.

"I just passed Sam's truck on the road," Traci said. "He was driving alone. Is everything all right?"

"Nope," Andy answered, falling back to lay on the couch. "I over thought it. We got into a fight. He walked out."

"Are you okay? Do you want me to stop by?"

"No," she sighed, running her hand over her head. "Since I'm not having sex tonight, I'm just going to go to bed. Alone."

"How bad was it, Andy?" Traci asked. "It had to have been bad if he left."

"It was pretty bad," she admitted. "But he promised to talk to me tomorrow, so that's got to mean something."

"That's _good_," Traci promised and Andy nodded even though she couldn't see her. "I'll see you in the morning, okay. Get some rest."

"Thanks, Trace," she said, sitting up and moving her legs to hang off the couch. "Goodnight."

She breathed in and out deeply, looking down at her phone. She looked out her window and saw the snow had picked up and she hung her head. Before she could talk herself out of it, she sent Sam a text.

_I know you're mad and probably hurt. I get it, but please let me know you got home safe._

It only took a minute for the response.

_Home safe_

She sighed at the shortness of his text, but nodded to herself.

_Good. I'll see you tomorrow._

At that, she went to her bedroom and got into bed. She never got a text back, but she also wasn't expecting one.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: You didn't really think I was going to make you wait for this, did you? So... Thanks for the reviews. I loved that people were taking sides and how much some of you _really _hated what I did. I'm not apologizing, though. I think it needed to happen for them to really get past everything. Passion is important and it's something these two have always had, so they fight just as passionately as they love. **

**Let me know what you think of this chapter and whether or not you still hate me!**

For the second day in a row, Andy was stuck on desk with Gail. She still hadn't talked to Sam and she couldn't wait for her shift to be over so she could go over to his place and talk things out. So, not only was she not talking to Sam, but Gail still wasn't talking to her. She wasn't talking to her, but she kept looking over at her like she wanted to say something. Andy couldn't deal with a fight with Gail on top of her fight with Sam, so she kept her eyes trained on the papers in front of her.

"Your boyfriends back and you're gonna be in trouble," Gail sang and Andy glared at her.

"It's _my _boyfriend's back," she corrected quietly and Gail smiled at her sarcastically.

"I know," she shrugged. "But _your _boyfriend is back and he looks pissed," she said, pointing to the other side of the glass door across from them.

"Don't buzz him in," Andy said quickly. She jumped up from her seat and made her way around the desk. He sighed and rolled her eyes as he watched her come toward him. When she opened the door, it was just enough to stick her head out. "Hi."

"Hello," he said, leaning his arm against the frame. "I need to get something from Frank."

"Can we talk?" She asked, moving back to let him in.

"No," he said, walking past her. She glanced back to see Gail watching them and she sighed, falling into step beside him.

"Sam," she whispered, strained, and he stopped, closing his eyes. "Sam, I'm sorry about last night."

"Andy," he sighed, looking around them. "Now is _not _the time."

"Sammy," Frank called as he left his office. "There's a file on my desk for you. I have to run over for a meeting at HQ."

"Thanks, Boss," he said, keeping his eyes on the floor. Frank stopped, looking between Sam and Andy.

"Everything okay here?" He asked and they both nodded. "Okay, then back to the desk, McNally."

"Yes, sir," she said, nodding again. Frank left them and she looked quickly up at Sam, surprised to see him watching her.

"Back to the desk," he told her and she rolled her eyes. "I've got to get going."

"Where are you going?" She asked, looking back to make sure Gail was okay before following him up the steps to Frank's office.

"I have an appointment with the shrink," he told her, looking through the papers in the file. "I have to go at least twice before I can come back to work."

"I didn't know that," she told him and he shrugged, walking back toward the door. She sighed again, following him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just did," he said, rolling his eyes as they walked through the bullpen. "Frank called me this morning. These need to get signed off on," he explained, waving the folder.

"Sam!" She said once they reached the desk and he kept on walking. He turned to look at her and crossed his arms, waiting. She moved closer so Gail couldn't hear them. "We need to talk."

"I know," he sighed, scratching his jaw.

"This is not over," she told him. "We're not over."

"I know that," he said and she recoiled at the harshness in his voice. "Wow, you really don't trust me at all. One fight and you think I'm throwing in the towel? We grew up, remember? And I am _not _hiding."

"I trust you," she insisted and he shook his head slowly. "I do, Sam. Can I come by after work?"

He thought about it for a second, swallowing hard, and then nodded. "I'm sure Peck has a sentence or two to finish by now," he told her before turning around and leaving.

She threw her head back and grunted before turning back to the desk. As she sat down, she could practically feel Gail's eyes on her. "What?" She asked, turning in her seat to look at her.

"What the hell was that about?" She asked with an almost smile.

"We're fighting," Andy answered shortly.

"Obviously," Gail laughed and Andy rolled her eyes. "What happened?" Andy regarded her for a second, wanting to tell her about it. Really, she just wanted to talk it out with somebody, but she didn't know if Gail was willing to listen and be a friend or just wanted the gossip.

"It's fine," she said, shaking her head. "Don't worry about it."

"If you want to talk about it, McNally, then talk about it," Gail said and Andy let out a deep breath. She told Gail everything about the night of the shooting all the way up to the night before. She kept her voice quiet and watched the door to make sure they weren't ignoring anyone, but she went deep into the story. And to her credit, Gail listened quietly. She nodded along with wide eyes and by the end she sat back in her seat and crossed her legs. "You're such an idiot."

"Thank you, Gail," Andy sighed, resting her forehead on top of her folded arms.

"He would literally do anything for you," Gail continued and Andy hummed, waiting for more. "He would have waited, he would have talked it out with you. But you're such an idiot that you rambled on about ex-girlfriends and you threw an old promise in his face."

"What old promise?" Andy asked, sitting up again.

"The night you first got together," Gail said like it was obvious. "Didn't you promise that you didn't want to go back?"

"Oh god," she sighed, running her hands up and down her thighs. "How do you even remember that?" She asked, looking up at her again.

"I always thought it was kind of sweet," she shrugged and Andy raised her eyebrows. "I know, _crazy_, I find things sweet. Sue me."

"I don't want to go back, Gail," Andy said. "I told him that last night."

"Yeah, but you also brought it up in the first place. If you're scared of losing him, imagine how scared he is of losing you."

"You know," Andy said, making sure they were making eye contact. "I don't want to lose you either."

"Well," Gail sighed, tilting her head side to side. "You haven't. Just don't mess things up with Swarek and sleep with anymore of my ex-boyfriends, okay?"

"Okay," Andy laughed."I promise."

* * *

Sam sat on his couch, bracing himself against his knees. His appointment with the shrink had gone okay. He just talked about his fight with Andy, needing to get it out since Oliver had gone back to work. She listened and talked him through it, but made sure to let him know that they needed to talk about what happened the night Ford shot him. He rolled his eyes and waved his hand before leaving her office. He had to go back at the end of the week for one more signature and he hoped, if all went well with his doctors at the hospital, that meant he could get back to work a couple of days early.

He sighed when he heard the slow knock on his front door and he pushed himself to stand. It was getting easier, he actually was feeling much better. The only time it seemed to hurt was when he leaned into something sharp, like when he turned too quickly in his kitchen earlier and got the corner of his counter. He opened the door, keeping his expression flat, and looked out to see Andy avoiding his eyes. He stood in his doorway with his hand on the edge of the door and his other gripping the door jam.

"Hi," she said quietly, looking up to meet his eyes.

"Hey," he said, squinting into the sun that was going down behind her head.

"Are you going to let me in or..." she trailed off, holding herself against the cold air.

"Yeah," he said, pushing himself off the jam to sweep his arm out and usher her in. She walked around him, biting her lip and he closed the door with a shake of his head. As they walked inside together, he watched the back of her head as it hung low and her shoulders slumped. "You can sit if you want."

"Thanks," she said, sighing. It was awkward and she hated it. She took her jacket off and tossed it to the side with her bag before sinking into the couch. He sat next to her and she watched him move easily as he sat against the arm and folded a leg in front of him. "Sam, I am _so _sorry," she said, shaking her head.

"I know," he noddded. "But you meant what you said."

"I don't know what I meant," she told him, moving to sit with her back against the arm of the couch so they were looking at each other. "I mean... I _am _scared, but that doesn't mean I don't want to be with you- that I don't want to be with you _forever_."

"Aren't you sick of being scared?" He asked her and she nodded. "Because I am done with that, Andy. I told you what I want and how I feel. What more do you want me to do before you trust that this thing is real?"

"Nothing," she shrugged. "Honestly, Sam. We're doing everything right and I know how real this is. Maybe that's what's freaking me out, you know? I used to be very afraid of commitment."

"You almost married Callaghan," he reminded her, furrowing his brow. "That's a pretty big commitment."

"Yeah, I let my guard down and he cheated on me," she said pointedly. "And then I committed myself to you and you broke up with me and ignored me for six weeks. Maybe my fear of commitment came back after those two things," she shrugged. "I don't know. I never really thought about it until now."

"If this fight proves anything," Sam sighed, cracking his neck, "It's that I'm not going anywhere. I'm in this relationship, I'm here fighting it out."

"You're right," she nodded, realizing how odd it was for them to be hashing out a fight so maturely. "I believe you when you say you want to be with me and that you love me. But we've broken each other's hearts once before, honestly tell me that you're not afraid it will happen again."

He took a deep breath, looked into her eyes, and said, "I am _not _afraid it will happen again."

Andy let out a breath, closing her eyes, and nodded. "Then I trust you."

"Don't say it if you don't mean it, McNally," he warned her and her eyes sprang open.

"I trust you," she insisted and he waited a couple of seconds to nod. His eyes softened and she let out a relieved sigh. "Okay? Can I touch you now?" She laughed. "Because I really missed you last night."

He couldn't keep the small smile off his face as he nodded her over. She folded herself around his body and hugged him across the chest. "I might have overreacted last night," he admitted into her hair.

"No," she said, looking up to see his face. "After everything that's happened between us over the last four years, you had every right to react that way. I promised you a long time ago that I didn't want to go back and I practically threatened doing just that."

He brought the hand that wasn't around her shoulder to cup her face and bring her lips to his. After a few seconds, he pulled back, licking his lips. "As much as I don't want you leaving me, if you do, just make sure you let me know," he told her and she shook her head.

"I swear, Sam, I don't see that happening," she promised. "But the same goes for you, okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "But, uh... I'm not going anywhere."

"Good," she laughed, pushing herself to kiss him. "You know, I'm really, very sorry about what happened last night. I didn't want that to happen. I actually... I wanted to jump you all night," she admitted, laughing nervously. "That shirt looked _really _good on you."

"Yeah?" He asked, laughing.

"Yup," she smiled. Before she knew what was happening, he flipped her onto her back and was above her. "Sam!" She laughed as his fingers made their way up her side.

"Don't worry about last night, McNally," he promised her, resting his forehead against hers. "We'll take our time. There's no rush, okay?"

"Okay," she breathed, watching his mouth. "How much time are you thinking?"

He laughed, rolling onto his side to wedge himself between the couch and her body. "Probably not that long," he told her, pushing some hair behind her ear.

"It's probably good we didn't sleep together last night," she thought aloud, running her hand underneath his shirt to finger his bandage. "You have a doctor's appointment in the morning. We should really wait to hear what he has to say."

"Do I really have to ask my doctor when I can have sex with my girlfriend?" He whined, hiding his face in the crook of her neck. She ran her hand through his hair and turned onto her side so his head fell.

"Girlfriend?" She asked with a giddy smile. He propped his head onto his fist and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, if you're not my girlfriend, what the hell are you?" He asked, running his hand along her side.

She thought about it, biting her lip, and smiled. "I guess you're right," she admitted, putting her hand on his cheek. "Looks like I've got myself a real life boyfriend."

"And don't forget it," he warned, leaning in to kiss her.

Andy pulled back and licked her lips. When Sam opened his eyes, he gently brushed his nose against hers and she smiled. "And you were right last night," she told him, nodding into her palm. "The last time we were together wasn't just about sex. I shouldn't have suggested that it was. We've always had this really strong..."

"Connection?" He finished with a raised eyebrow. As cliche as it sounded, he knew it was true. Honestly, from the second she tackled him, he knew she was going to leave an impression.

She nodded, but laughed. "Yeah, a connection," she agreed.

"McNally," he sighed, pulling her body closer to his. "I never want to hurt you again, okay? And, _believe me,_ I never want to be hurt by you again, so let's just move past last night."

"Yeah," she nodded. "That's all I want and I'm sorry."

"I know. I am too," he told her and she kissed him.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Thanks again for all the reviews. Love you guys! I'm working on the next chapter and hope to get it up this week. Shouldn't be an issue! So, let me know what you think and I hope you like it!**

Andy sat alone in her squad car waiting for Gail to come out of the station and join her. After talking to Sam the night before, she wasn't surprised to find them partnered up for the third day in a row or that they were off desk duty. Gail slid into the car, handing Andy a coffee, and started the engine. "So, why do you think Frank is trying to turn us into the next Chris and Dov?" She asked, turning onto the main road.

"I actually talked to Sam about this last night," Andy told her which just earned her a glare. "Right, so Frank knew we weren't talking, so putting us on desk was like a punishment. If we couldn't be partners behind the desk, there's no way we could be partners on the street. When he came back from HQ yesterday, you and I were fine and we were talking, so he moved us from the desk to the streets. Boyko did the same thing when Sam and Frank were fighting once."

"So, you and Swarek are good, then?" Gail asked, just accepting Frank's logic.

"Yeah," Andy nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. "We're good," she elaborated in a clipped tone.

"Still not sleeping together I see," Gail laughed and Andy shook her head into her cup. "What happened this time?"

"I went home so we couldn't sleep together," Andy explained. "He's at his doctor's appointment right now, so we decided to wait until he got the all clear."

"So romantic," Gail said sarcastically.

"Hey, it's better to be safe than sorry!"

"How sorry are you right now?" Gail asked with an evil smirk.

"_Very _sorry," she whined, hitting the side of her head against her window. Just then her phone rang and she put her coffee in the cup holder and got it from her pocket. "Speaking of Sam," she said to Gail before answering. "Hey."

"Hey," he said and she could hear the smile in his voice. "Do you want to have dinner tonight?"

"Really?" Andy asked, earning her a curious look from Gail. She just pointed to the road and focused back on Sam. "Like a date?"

"Yeah," he laughed. "Something like that."

"So," she drawled, unable to keep the smile off her face. "I take it the doctor's went well."

"I'll pick you up at 8," he told her, ignoring the suggestion. "That should give you enough time to get home and get changed, right?"

"Plenty," she agreed. "I'll see you tonight."

When she hung up, Gail stopped at a red light and turned toward her. "Oh. My. God. You have a_ date _with Sam Swarek," she fake gushed. "You are, like, _so _lucky. What are you going to wear?"

"Shut up," Andy laughed, throwing her head back. She shook her head and her smile fell. "What _am _I going to wear?"

* * *

After Sam knocked on her door, he listened to her footsteps and then heard her curse as she walked into something. He smiled to himself until she opened the door wrapped in a towel. "Do you always answer your door in that?" He asked with a smirk and she shrugged, moving aside to let him in.

"I wasn't sure where we're going," she explained, reaching up to unzip his jacket. He kept his hands in his pockets but looked on, amused. "I was waiting to see what you're wearing so I knew what to wear."

"Ah," he nodded as she took in his dark jeans and gray henley. "Same as always," he told her and she nodded, rolling her eyes.

"Doesn't really help me," she told him. When she looked up at him, he was smiling down at her and she smiled back. She rolled onto her toes, keeping a hand on his chest for balance, and kissed him. "I'll be right out."

"Okay," he nodded, watching her make her way across the room until the bedroom door shut behind her. He sighed and sat down on her couch, resting his head back. It didn't take as long as he thought t would for her to come out of her room again. He looked over to see her holding a pair of boots and she smiled at him. "You look nice."

She looked down at her jeans and sweater before sitting down next to him. "Thank you," she said, pulling on a boot. "It was freezing when I walked home, so I know it may not be the sexiest look, but the sweater is necessary."

"You walked home?" He asked and she nodded. "You should really look into getting a car."

"I'm okay," she laughed, pulling on her other boot. He rolled his eyes and slid his hand up her back to tangle it in her hair. She involuntarily leaned into his touch and let out a deep breath.

"We should get going," he told her and she rolled her head to look at him. He smirked before pulling her in for a kiss. "I haven't eaten all day."

"If you insist," she said, standing up. She offered him her hands and when he took them, she pulled him to stand. As soon as he was in front of her, she ran her hands up his chest and neck until his face was between her palms. "Hi," she said quietly and he kissed her slowly.

"Hi," he smiled, nudging her nose with his. "Ready?"

She nodded and he reached for her jacket on the back of her couch. He held it open for her to slip into and she smiled. "Come on," she said, holding out her hand. Once they were in his truck and he was driving away, she turned toward him. "So, where are we going?"

He looked at sideways and reached for her hand. "Oliver's," he told her and she whipped her head to look at him.

"As in Shaw?" She asked and he nodded. "We're going to Oliver's for dinner?"

"Yes," he said, nodding once. "He and Celery invited us."

"Why didn't you just tell me that?"

"Well, it wasn't always the plan," he admitted. "I was going to take you out to dinner, you know to a restaurant, but then Oliver called me and invited us. I would much rather it be just the two of us tonight... And really every night."

Andy smiled at him and squeezed his hand, getting his attention. "Your best friend invited us over for dinner," she shrugged. "We're doing the right thing by going over. And I have the day off tomorrow, so we can stay up as late as we want doing, you know, whatever..."

Sam laughed, nodding, and brought her hand to his lips. "I do have an appointment at 11 with the shrink," he told her. "But, I don't need a good night's sleep for that."

"Well, good, because you're not going to get one," she promised and he laughed again, shaking his head. "And I have plans with Traci around that time. Her high school reunion is coming up and we're going shopping."

"Okay," he nodded. "Are your plans all day?"

"Nope," she told him. "I should be wrapping up with her around 2."

"Good to know," he said, smiling over at her and she laughed.

"So, how was your appointment this morning?"

"Great," he promised. "You and I are good to go. I didn't even have to ask."

"I'm sure he could sense your sexual frustration from the waiting room," she joked and he tilted his head from side to side.

"Probably," he shrugged. "And I can go back to work a week early. I can only work half days for the first week and then light duty for another week after that."

"Sam, that's great!" She told him excitedly and he nodded, smiling.

As he pulled up outside of Oliver's house, he sighed. All he'd wanted when he left the doctor's was a night with Andy where things didn't have to be complicated, where they could do what they planned to do two nights before. When Oliver called, though, there was a certain pleading in his voice. It was important to him that Sam got to know Celery and he didn't hide the fact that he liked seeing him and Andy together. And Andy was right, it was the right thing to do because it was important. If it was important to Oliver, it was important enough for him to follow through.

Andy watched him from her seat and she smiled. Being there with him after everything was amazing to her. And they were having dinner with Oliver and Celery which just made things that much more real. Before, it was at work and the Penny that they would see their friends together. Here they were, essentially on a double date. "Hey," she said, drawing his attention. He blinked a few times and focused on her. "I'm actually really happy we're doing this."

"I am too," he admitted. "Come on," he said, nodding toward the house.

They made their way to the door slowly. Sam kept his hand planted on her shoulder and her arm was slung across his back comfortably. Sam knocked with his free hand and nearly fell back at who answered. "Hi, Uncle Sam," Izzie Shaw smiled, moving aside to let them in. ""Hi, Andy."

"Hi," she said, letting go of Sam. He walked out ahead of her and hugged Izzie quickly as Maddie came in. He gave her a quick hug, too. As he was about to turn back to Andy, the youngest Shaw girl ran toward him.

"Uncle Sammy!" Sophie yelled, jumping into his arms. Oliver poked his head in from the kitchen and Andy looked on worried.

"Hey!" Oliver said, poking his head out to get a good look. "Soph, Uncle Sammy is hurt-"

"I'm fine, Oliver," he said, running his hand down the back of the girl's head before shifting her to his good side. "I'm fine," he insisted, looking at Andy.

She looked at Oliver and he shrugged, nodding her to the kitchen. Once she was standing with him, she smiled at Celery and turned back to watch Sam. He was resting against the back of the couch with Sophie still wrapped around him and the other two girls gathered around. The four of them were deep in conversation and Sam kept tweaking the end of Sophie's ponytail between her fingers. Andy looked on with a small smile and a twinkle in her eye.

"Looks good on him, huh?" Oliver asked, using his wooden spoon to point at his best friend and his daughter. Andy looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Calm down, it's only been a couple of weeks," she reminded him, putting a hand out. The smile didn't fall from his face, so she pursed her lips and crossed her arms.

"I know that look you were just giving him," he explained and she shrugged.

"What look, Oliver?"

"The same one that he always has when he looks at you," he explained and her face cracked into a small smile.

"Mom's here," Izzie called out and Oliver went into the living room to hug his daughters goodbye. Andy watched him take Sophie from Sam and put her coat on.

Sam walked into the kitchen as the girls walked out. "Hi, Celery," he smiled, taking off his jacket.

"Hi, Sam," she said. "You're looking better."

"Feeling better," he reported and she smiled before turning back to the pot on the stove. He held his hand out for Andy's jacket and she handed it to him.

After throwing them on the back of Oliver's bar stools, he walked back to stand in front of Andy. "Sam, are you really okay?" She asked, reaching for the hem of his shirt. Oliver walked by them, smiling at her and she laughed before pulling Sam closer and lifting up his shirt to get a look.

"I'm okay," he insisted, gently removing her hand. "She's five years old and is about as heavy as a feather."

"She really seems to like you," she noted and he shrugged. "They all do."

"Well, I am their favorite," he smirked and she shook her head, smiling.

"You're my favorite, too," she told him before kissing him quickly. He smiled, lacing his fingers through hers, and brought her over to the table where Oliver and Celery were putting down dishes of food. "Thanks for inviting us over for dinner," Andy said as they all sat. "This smells delicious."

"Wait 'til you taste it," Oliver promised.

**AN: I wasn't sure how old Oliver's daughters were or what the youngest's name was. I may have even made up the fact that he has three daughters, but I don't think I did. Thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Whoa boy, I don't know why, but I had some trouble writing this chapter. I guess I had a bout of writer's block and I still do a little bit. My creative juices just aren't flowing as easily as they were. I blame work; it's killing my spirit. Don't fret, I'll get it back. I PROMISE!**

**Anyway, I hope you like what I came up with and I hope you let me know your thoughts! Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

Andy had Sam pinned against her front door. With one arm wrapped around his neck, she slid the other one around him so she could unlock the door. The kiss they were sharing, though, was taking up all of her attention and her hand fell from around the keys and slid up his back. "McNally," he breathed, guiding it back to the doorknob. She ignored him and moved it to his neck. He kissed her harder then, turning them around so she was against the door, and unlocked it himself.

With his arm around her waist, he lifted her just enough to get her moving into the condo. He tossed her keys onto the couch and kicked her door shut. "Andy," he breathed, pushing her away gently. It took her a second, but she opened her eyes and let her hands fall to rest flat against his chest.

"Right," she laughed, holding her hand out. Now would normally be the time that he'd guide her legs to rest around his waist and carry her the rest of the way to her room. Since they both knew he couldn't do that _just_yet, she thought it best to lead the way. He smirked at her and gave her his hand. The closer they got to the bedroom, the faster she walked. Once they were inside, he stripped off his jacket and pulled her to turn toward him. Looking up at him as he made his way down the column of buttons on her own jacket, she smiled. "You're being very thorough," she noted and he smirked, looking into her eyes.

"I know how much you like this jacket," he shrugged, unhooking the last button. "I wouldn't want to ruin it," he explained, pushing it off of her shoulders and kicking it to the side as soon as it hit the floor.

"Well, thank you," she laughed, pulling his body to hers. He cupped her chin and moved the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip until she gasped and her mouth fell open. His other hand moved to the small of her back, pushing her sweater up in the process and she shivered; not from the cold air hitting her but from the feel of his hand on her body. "Sam."

She stood taller to get closer to his lips, but he just smirked and pulled his head away. "We're doing this right, Andy," he told her and her hands slipped beneath the front of his shirt to rest on his stomach. He closed his eyes quickly and swallowed. When he lifted his arms over her head, she smiled and pulled his shirt off and he laughed. As soon as it was gone, his hands were roaming her body again and she breathed into his neck. As his hands slid down her sides and reached for the bottom of her sweater, she kissed him quickly and lifted her own arms. Her shirt was off in seconds and her arms folded around his neck as he kissed her hard.

"Sam," Andy breathed, pulling her head back. "I want to-I just- I love you."

He regarded her for a second as a smile grew on his face and nodded. "I know," he told her as her hands slid down to his chest. "I love you."

"I just wanted to get that out there," she smiled, wrapping her arms around his torso while his hands got lost in her hair.

"Consider it out there," he smirked before pulling her in for another kiss. He walked her backward to the bed until the back of her knees hit it. "Sit down," he advised her and she did as she was told with a smile and a raised brow. He got on his knees and slowly pulled off one boot and then the other. Andy smiled as she rested back on her palms to watch him. Once he was finished with her boots, he kicked off his own and leaned in to kiss her. Within seconds, she was pulling him farther up the bed.

Sam hovered above her, keeping his weight off, and she pulled him so he was flush against her body. "You're the one that got shot," Andy reminded him. "Don't coddle me."

He let out a deep laugh and nodded before laying his lips over hers again. She slid her hand between them to undo his pants and then her own. Using her fingers and then her toes, she pushed his pants as far down his legs as she could and he pulled back, shaking his head with a smile. He sat on his knees, pulling her pants off, and kicked his off the rest of the way. She raked her eyes up his body, lingering a second on the bandage on his stomach, until her eyes met his and she sat up to kiss him. His hand ran over her cheek and into her hair as he pushed her back to lie down and she sighed happily into his mouth.

* * *

"Holy..." Andy breathed, wiping her hair out of her face as Sam rolled over to the other side of the bed.

"Moly?" He asked with a smirk and she laughed loudly, rolling onto her side to look at him.

"Yeah," she nodded into her palm. She took a few deep breaths until her heart race slowed down and she could see straight. "Wow."

"I could say the same thing," Sam laughed, rubbing a hand over his face. He propped his head onto a pile of pillows and let it fall to the side so he could get a good look at her.

He had to take a couple of seconds to catch his breath and while doing so, he took advantage of looking Andy up and down. She noticed it and smacked him against the chest and he smiled and shrugged. When she smiled at him, he felt his body relax.

"Was it always that good?" She asked, moving closer to drape herself over his body. "I mean, I know it's always been good. But _that_good?"

"I don't... I don't think so," he admitted, curling his arm that was underneath her so his hand could rest on her back. "I mean, always good-definitely. Best I have ever had, but you're right, McNally. That was... That was really something."

"I guess there's some truth to that whole 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' saying," she noted and he laughed. "God, imagine if you weren't just coming off of a major injury."

"I can't," he laughed again, licking the inside of his cheek. He pulled the comforter off of the floor where they had kicked it and covered them both. He ran his finger over her jaw and down her nose and she smiled as she watched him. "You're okay? I mean, I know you were-"

"No, Sam," she said, putting her hand on his chest. "I'm _so_good. We're good," she promised. She brought her hands up to frame his face. "Nothing else could make me happier. I'm so _stupidly_ happy right now, okay?"

"Okay," he nodded, licking his lips. She let his face go and looked at him closely. "What is it?"

"You're happy," she shrugged and he smiled.

"Not at all," he teased and she smiled, resting her forehead against his chest. He ran his hand down her back underneath the covers and she looked at him again. "I'm happy. It's you, of course I'm happy."

Andy kissed him and he pulled her closer, cupping her face with his free hand. "And you're okay, right?" She asked, pulling back and looking toward his stomach. "You're not hurt or...?

"No," he told her and she nodded. "It feels normal."

"Maybe we should wait weeks every time we have sex," she considered aloud, running her hands through the hair sprinkled across his chest. When her eyes met his face she laughed out loud at the look on it. "Okay, you're right," she conceded. "We definitely shouldn't wait weeks."

"I think minutes," he suggested quietly as his eyes darkened a shade and his lips parted slightly.

"Minutes," she breathed, unconsciously moving closer. "You think you could manage that?"

"Oh, I think I could find the strength," he promised, flipping them over so he was above her. "You up to the challenge?"

"Challenge accepted," she said just as his lips descended onto hers.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: You know, I'm not going to lie. I'm very happy with how this turned out. Granted, it doesn't matter what I think. It matters what _you guys _think. Take a read, let me know. **

**As always, thank you for reading and reviewing! **

Andy rolled away from Sam to reach over and shut off her alarm. After a second or two of lying still, she moved to get out of bed and get ready. Before she got too far, though, Sam rolled over so he was on top of her. "Don't," he whispered into the back of her neck.

"Sam," she laughed, trying to push him away to no avail. "You have an appointment and Traci's going to be here to pick me up soon."

"No," he said, putting his arms around her before rolling onto his side and pulling her with him. "A couple of minutes."

"Fine," she smiled, resting back against his chest. "Your stomach really is better, huh?"

"I told you," he told her, kissing the back of her head. "Now shh."

Andy smiled, wrapping her fingers through his against her stomach. Sam let out a deep breath against her neck and tightened his grasp, smiling to himself. After a few minutes, he felt Andy loosen her grip on his hand and he let go of her. When she rolled over to face him, he kissed her quickly. "We gotta get up," she said sadly and he nodded.

"I guess you did warn me about not getting a good night's sleep," he smirked and she laughed. "Let's go."

They rolled off of the bed and Sam pulled on his boxers while Andy pulled his shirt over her head. "Go shower," she offered and he nodded, heading toward the bathroom.

She watched him until he was out of her room and she smiled to herself before picking up their mess of clothes. She folded his and threw hers in the hamper before moving to make her bed. She picked an outfit out and laid it on the chaise below the window and waited until she heard the shower stop. It wasn't long before Sam walked in with his towel slung low on his waist and she stood up. Pulling his shirt over her head, she handed it to him and he watched her walk out of her room with a smirk.

After he was dressed, he went to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. He took a look around the room, noticing how little had changed since he last saw it. It almost comforted him that it was the same as he remembered. He walked around the perimeter, looking at the pictures on the wall- all the same except the one she used to have of the two of them was missing. When he noticed that, he crossed his arms and cracked his neck. He couldn't blame her; after all, they had been broken up for a year.

"Hey, is that coffee I smell?" Andy asked, walking out of the bathroom to find him staring at her wall.

"Yeah," he smiled, turning to look at her. "Almost done."

"You're too good to me," she smiled before going into her room and kicking her door shut. She got dressed quickly and dried her hair and looked up to see Sam walking into the room.

"Are you sure we have to leave this room today?" He asked, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms.

"Yes," she laughed, running her hair straightener through her hair. "You have to get that paper signed so you can get back to work."

"She won't sign it unless I tell her about the night I got shot," he told her and she met his eyes through the mirror. Sam shrugged and Andy turned around.

"Are you going to be able to do that?" She asked, making sure her straightener was off before moving to stand in front of him.

"Yeah," Sam nodded, pushing himself off the wall to reach for her hips. "I don't want to, but I can."

"It's going to be okay," she promised. He let out a relieved breath and kissed her slowly. "I'll go pour you that coffee to go so you can get out of here and get it signed."

"Thanks," he said, kissing her again. She smiled and squeezed his forearms before turning out of his grasp and heading to the kitchen.

As she poured the coffee into the travel mug for Sam, there was a knock on the door. Andy glanced quickly at the clock above the stove and realized it was Traci. She ran to open the door and smiled at both her and Gail. "Why didn't you just call me? I would have met you outside," she said, moving aside to let them in.

"Gail has to pee," Traci explained with a shrug. "I heard you and Sam had a date last night," she smiled and Gail's eyes widened.

"Ah, yes," she smiled, poking Andy in the arm. "How was the sex?"

"Gail!" Andy gasped just as Sam walked out of her room pulling on his jacket.

"It was great," he said, zipping it up. "Thanks for asking," he smirked as all three girls turned toward him.

"I'm just gonna pee," Gail said, walking past him with her head down and Traci laughed before heading to the kitchen to pour herself a small cup of coffee.

"I'm sorry," Andy said sheepishly when Sam met her in front of the door.

"Don't worry about it, McNally," he smirked, taking the coffee from her hand. "I'll see you later," he said before kissing her temple.

"At the Penny," Traci called out and Andy and Sam turned toward her. "Steve is spending the afternoon with Leo until my mom gets out of work and meeting us there later. Gail has some plans for us and they all end at the Penny."

Andy looked up at Sam who shrugged. "I will see you tonight at the Penny," he amended and she nodded before he kissed her quickly. He left her condo and she sighed at his retreating back.

"I'll be right back," she told Traci who nodded with a smile. Andy ran out after Sam and stopped him in the hallway. "Hey!"

He turned toward her quickly to find her awfully close. "Hi," he laughed and she pushed him against the hallway wall to kiss him slowly.

His hand that wasn't holding his coffee, slid around her waist and rested on the small of her back. Andy's hands were on his neck and she pulled herself closer, intensifying the kiss until she had to break it and take a step back. "Sorry," she laughed, shaking her head.

"It's okay," he laughed, catching his breath. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she insisted, stepping closer to him again. "I just needed to do that. I know we were planning on seeing each other around 2, so I needed something to tide me over until tonight I guess."

At that, he wound his arm around her again and pulled her against him and kissed her hard and quick. "I'll see you tonight," he smiled and she nodded.

"I'll see you tonight," she agreed and they let go of each other. "Good luck at your appointment."

"Thanks," he said with a nod and then he turned and Andy watched him until the door shut behind him. She took a breath and turned back toward her condo. When she closed the door behind her, both Gail and Traci were waiting for her.

"So, it was good?" Traci asked and Andy nodded enthusiastically. "What did you guys end up doing on your date?"

"Oliver and Celery had us over for dinner," she told them, pouring herself a cup of coffee. When she sat down on the bar stool next to Gail, Traci leaned on her elbows across from them. "And we came straight here."

"Couldn't keep your hands off him?" Traci asked, raising her eyebrows and Andy shrugged with a smile.

"I blame Oliver's kids," she explained and Gail made a face at her. "He's so good with them and they _love _him."

"So, what?" Gail asked. "You thought you'd bring him back here and practice making your own?"

"Yes," Andy said definitively. "Four times."

Traci wooed and Gail's eyebrows shot up. "I thought he was injured," she laughed.

"He seems to be doing _a lot _better," she smiled. Both Gail and Traci shook their heads with smiles and Andy shrugged, "So, Gail, I didn't know you were coming today," she said, veering the conversation away from her and Sam.

"Well, Holly's working, Chris went to Timmins for the weekend, and Dov was getting ready to head to the hospital for the day," she shrugged. "So, I invited myself and decided that we're all going to go shopping, get lunch, and see a movie."

"Since Steve wanted some man to man time with Leo, I thought it would be a great idea," Traci said. "Just the three of us for the day and we can meet up with everyone else tonight."

"Did we ruin your plans?" Gail asked, tilting her head and crossing her arms.

"Nope," Andy said, shaking her head. "Sam and I are fine hanging out tonight. I'm all yours."

* * *

Sam walked up the last of the steps to the doctor's office and took a few deep breaths. He hadn't been running or working out at all since he got shot and he was really starting to see the effects. As he made his way toward the office, he cracked his knuckles and then his neck, psyching himself up. He really didn't want to sit through a therapy session and divulge everything that happened the night Ford shot him. He just wanted to go back to work and he couldn't do one without the other.

"Detective, you're looking better," the doctor greeted him as he walked into her office and shut the door.

"Thanks, Doc," he smiled tightly before sitting down on the couch. He watched her come out from behind her desk and sit across from him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Great," he said, bobbing his head up and down.

"Good, that's good," she said, making a note in her pad. "And things with your girlfriend are better? You seem lighter today."

"They're good. We're good," he said, nodding again. He sat as far back in his seat as possible and waited for her to ask him another question.

"And how did your doctor's appointment go yesterday?"

"It went well," he shrugged. "If all goes according to plan here, I'll be back at work in less than a week."

"Well, then I guess we should jump right in," she smiled and he nodded once. "Tell me about the night you got shot. Tell me what happened and what was going through your head."

Sam took a deep breath and dove into the basics of what happened that night. He kept it general, leaving out all of the personal things that were happening and going through his head. He told her about the case and how it started with Diaz's son and then what happened with Marlo, leaving out Andy's involvement in the cover-up. He told her about Price getting shot and Peck and Oliver coming under fire as well. He told her about Oliver's abduction and the search for him. He told her about Ford's hit list and who was on it. He told her about leaving the station, finding Oliver's squad, and realizing that Ford was in 15. He told her about looking for him and clearing rooms. Finally he told her about Ford finding Collins and how he was the one who ended up getting shot.

"Why did you call his name?" She asked and Sam shrugged. "You must have known he was going to shoot you if he seemed so intent on shooting Officer Collins."

"I just called his name," Sam said, shrugging again. "Collins wouldn't have deserved that."

"And you did?"

"I'm not saying that," Sam said, leaning his elbows against his knees.

"What's your relationship with Officer Collins?" She asked and he glared at her, expecting her to back down. When she didn't, Sam sighed.

"I was one of his training officers," he told her. "We're not close or anything."

"Detective, I have a feeling that you're leaving something out," she accused and he swallowed hard, looking down at his feet. "Do you want to tell me what it is?"

"Andy," he sighed, looking at the table between them. "My girlfriend, she was seeing him at the time of the shooting," he explained, still avoiding her eyes.

"And you thought that protecting him would be a way to protect her?" She asked and he nodded.

"I thought he made her happy, that he was good for her," he elaborated. "I had told her, before leaving the station and finding Oliver's squad, that I wanted her to be happy more than anything else. I meant it, so I just did what I thought would lead her to that happiness."

"In a way it did," she told him and he finally met her eyes. "It brought you two back together and you're both happy now, yes?"

"Yes," he sighed. "But I didn't know that was going to happen. I didn't know that I was going to get shot and I didn't know she was going to tell me she loved me. I wasn't expecting anything to happen after I called his name."

"Where was your gun and your vest?"

"I don't wear my vest in the station," he told her. "It's not protocol. And I was planning on going home; my gun was in my locker."

"You didn't get it before searching for Ford?" She clarified and he shook his head.

"Let's just say that I regret that decision," he told her with a tight smile and a deep breath. "It's over now. I'm ready to go back to work."

"One more thing," she told him and he rolled his eyes, causing her to smile. "I can see that you're still angry."

"Of course I am," he said, laughing humorlessly. "I got shot, a rookie got shot and is _still _in the hospital, my best friend was abducted and beaten."

"And it's not your fault."

"Covering up for Marlo didn't help the situation."

"But whether or not you covered it up, she still did what she did, which is what caused Kevin Ford to get harassed and hospitalized. And that is what caused him to retaliate."

"Okay," he sighed, rubbing his palms against his jeans. "You're right. But if I had told Frank or _someone_ what happened with Marlo and that she was off her meds, we could have kept a better eye on him. We probably could have stopped what happened to Price and Oliver."

"And _you_," the doctor reminded him. "Sam, you got shot, too. You were protecting a fellow officer and you got shot and it's _not _your fault. What happened to you and your colleagues and your friends is not your fault. It's not even Marlo's fault. Kevin Ford made the list, he took the shots, he abducted a police officer. Kevin Ford is at fault here."

Sam looked at her as she watched realization and acceptance wash over his features. He bit the inside of his cheek and nodded a couple of times, letting out a deep breath through his nose. "Okay," he said.


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: I was going to wait to post this, but I figured "Hey, what the hell?" So, here it is, the next installment of _He's Awake_. It's really just a kind of fun, very fluffy filler chapter before I go ahead and tackle Sam's first day back. Let me know what you think and I hope you enjoy it!**

**Oh, and I realized I've never shared my personal Twitter and Tumblr pages with you guys. If you want to follow me on either, go ahead. I'm not as interesting or funny as I think I am, but I entertain myself. **Twitter**: MeghanAnna **Tumblr**: .com**

Andy stared at Sam from across the bar. She'd been watching him the whole night while he sat between Oliver and Noelle, talking and laughing. He hadn't come up to her once, but they'd shared some smiles and intense looks. Not for awhile, though, and she was starting to get concerned. "What's your deal?" Traci asked, folding her arms against the bar.

"What do you mean?" Andy asked, snapping her attention toward her. "I'm fine."

"Then why are you giving Swarek a death glare right now?" Traci laughed, taking a drink. Andy rolled her eyes and drank some scotch. "Andy."

"He hasn't said anything to me all night," she explained quietly.

"Have you said anything to him?"

"Well, no," she sighed, shuffling from one foot to the other.

"Okay, then," Traci said, shaking her head. "Either go over there, or come back to the table with me and the Pecks."

Andy looked back at the table where Gail and Steve were sitting with Holly and Dov and then turned to look at Sam again. "Okay," she sighed, pushing herself away from the bar. "Let's go."

When she sat down, she still wasn't convinced that things were okay with Sam. She listened to what Dov was telling them about Chloe, happy that she was doing so well. She listened to Steve tell them about his day with Leo, happy that Traci's life was coming together beautifully. She watched Gail and Holly talk and laugh through the night, happy that Gail was _finally _happy. And she turned her head every few minutes to get a look at Sam. As usual, her heart race picked up just a beat when she found his face through the crowd, but it only lasted until she realized he wasn't watching her.

"Oh my god," Gail sighed before throwing back her drink. "Just go over there already."

"What?" Andy asked, hiding her face behind her drink.

"I, uh, I think she's talking about Swarek," Steve offered.

"Yeah, Andy, you've been a little distracted since he walked in here," Dov agreed and she rolled her eyes before standing up.

"Fine," she said, throwing up her hands. "I'll be right back." She walked around the bar, knowing they were watching her. Before she reached the other side, though, she felt a hand on her wrist and she was pulled down the hallway toward the bathrooms. "What the hell?" She exclaimed, turning to see a smirking Sam.

"Hi," he said quietly, pushing her gently against the wall. As surprised as she was, she ran her hands up his arms until they rested on his shoulders. He smiled down at her quickly before his lips found hers in the dark corner and she pulled herself closer until she remembered the silence between them the past two hours.

"Wait," she said, pushing him away, but keeping a hold on him. It took him a second to recover, but when he did, he raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "You haven't said anything to me all night. You can't just-"

"You haven't said anything to _me _all night," he argued, bending his knees to look into her eyes. "I was giving you space to hang out with your friends."

"I've been hanging out with my friends all day," she said in a harsh whisper. "And I had a great time, but I came here to see _you_."

"Then why didn't you come and see me?" He asked with a smirk. He pulled his hands away from her body and rested them against the wall on either side of her head. Her hands fell from his shoulders to fist his shirt at the waist.

"I just- I thought- I don't-" she stammered and he chuckled, leaning closer to her.

"McNally," he breathed against her lips and she looked down at his. She watched as his tongue peeked out to wet them, quickly replaced by a smile.

"Sam," she said, looking into his eyes again and she could see the spark there. Her heart was raising against his chest and his hands fell from the wall into her hair as he pulled her closer and kissed her hard. She pushed herself onto her toes and wound her arms around his body. His hands traveled down her back and slid beneath her shirt. "Okay, okay, okay," she said, shaking her head and pushing him away.

"We can't do this here," he agreed quickly, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning next to her.

"So, uh, how was your appointment?" She asked with a laugh. Going from nearly ripping each other's clothes off to a serious conversation was almost too much.

"Paper's signed," he said, looking down at their feet.

"But how was it?" She asked, nudging his side with her elbow. "Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not tonight," he said, looking at her again. "I've done enough of that today."

"Okay," she accepted. "But you know you can talk to me, right? About stuff, anything really."

"Yeah," he smiled, pushing himself off the wall. "Thanks. How was your day?" He asked, kicking the toe of her foot gently.

"A lot of fun," she smiled, kicking him back. "I think I spent a little too much money."

"Probably," he shrugged and she laughed. "We should, you know, get back out there."

"I guess so," she said, pushing herself off the wall, and looping her arm through his.

"You want a ride later?" He asked as they made their way back towards the bar.

"Oh, well, if you're offering," she said slyly, stopping short of his friends for a minute more to themselves.

"I'm offering," he confirmed and she smiled. He kissed her temple and she unlooped their arms.

"Then I'm accepting," she promised and he nodded once. "Come find me when you're ready to go."

"Soon," he promised as his eyes darkened and her face flushed. She nodded and he smiled quickly before sitting back between his friends.

Andy sighed and walked back to her friends. "You okay there?" Traci asked with a knowing smile. Andy narrowed her eyes. "Your face is a little flush and your breathing is just a little bit ragged."

"Shut up," Andy said defensively and Traci laughed, putting her arm around her shoulders.

* * *

Later that night, as they laid in his bed, Andy found Sam's hand under the covers and laced her fingers through his. He turned to look at her and found her smiling at him. "You're not working tomorrow, right?" He asked and she shook her head.

"Why? Do you want to do something?" She asked, letting go of his hand and rolling onto her side.

"Wanna go for a run with me?" He asked, turning to his side and tangling his legs with hers. "I'm out of shape."

"Okay," she smiled, pulling herself closer. He rested his palm against her cheek and stared at her, making her nervous. She ran her hands over his toned stomach and her foot up his defined calf. "You seem pretty in shape to me," she offered and he laughed, pulling her in for a kiss.

"I ran out of breath walking up two flights of stairs today," he explained, gently nudging her nose with his. "I need to do something."

"That's fine," she nodded. "But we're sleeping in."

"Yeah," he agreed with a laugh, looking over her to check the clock. "Oh, yeah," he said again and she laughed into his neck. He moved his hand from her face to around her waist. "Andy?"

"Hmm?" She hummed, hugging him to her.

"Thanks for being here the last few weeks," he whispered into her hair at the crown of her head. He felt her moving, so he lifted his head so they could look at each other.

"There's _nowhere _else I wanted to be," she promised and he nodded, letting out a deep breath. "Thank _you _for being here the past four years."

"Where else would I be?" He asked and she smiled before kissing him softly. "It's always been you."

"I didn't always know it at the time," she swallowed, looking from his eyes to his lips and then back again. "But I do now. It's always been you, Sam. It will always be you."

"Good," he smiled and she kissed him again.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, running her hand up and down his back. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"Not anymore," he said and she narrowed her eyes. "I just had a long day and I'm glad it ended here. With you."

"You don't want to talk about what happened at therapy?"

"No," he shook his head and she nodded.

"Then I won't push," she promised, kissing him quickly on the tip of his nose. "Are you excited to get back to work?"

"Uh, yeah," he said with an easy smile and she laughed lightly. "Five more days."

"I'm happy for you," she told him and his face softened. "And I'm happy that you're here and that we're together and that we're on the same page for the first time, maybe, ever."

"Me too," he said quietly, resting his forhead against hers. She smiled and he kissed her slowly. Just then, her stomach growled and he laughed into her mouth.

"I haven't eaten since lunch," she said, pushing him away from her. "I was so busy being mad at you for not talking to me that I didn't order anything to eat at the Penny."

"You were mad at me?" He asked, laughing again and she rolled away from him and onto her back. "Hey," he said, rolling to rest above her, balancing on his forearms. "I'm sorry I laughed. But I'm not apologizing for what happened at the bar."

"Fine," she said, crossing her arms between them.

"McNally," he sighed, resting on top of her. "Do you want me to make some food?"

"It's late," she reminded him. "Or early, I guess. I'm fine."

"You're a liar," he accused with a smirk and she tried to hide her smile. "Grilled cheese?"

"Yeah," she smiled, kissing him quickly before he rolled off of her. He pulled on his boxers and handed her a clean pair and a t-shirt. From bed, she pulled them on and followed him out to the kitchen.

While he set up shop at the stove, she pushed herself to perch on the counter next to him and he smiled at her. "I wasn't mad at you," she told him and he nodded, looking back at the stove. She used her leg to pull him to stand between her knees. "I thought you were upset or mad at me and I was worried. I wasn't mad."

"Okay," he smiled, resting his hands on her hips. "I wasn't upset or mad. I was just hanging out with Oliver and Noelle while you hung out with Nash and Epstein and the Pecks."

"I know," she nodded before kissing him. "I get that. I over thought it. Again."

"You've gotta stop doing that," he said, squeezing her gently.

"I know," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm working on it."

Sam smiled and rolled onto his toes to kiss her before moving back to flip their sandwiches. When he was between her knees again, she let her heels dig into his thighs, pulling him closer. He framed her face and kissed her again. "At this rate, we're not going to be able to get a run in until tomorrow night," he said against her lips and she laughed.

"It's supposed to snow all day," she told him. "It might be better to wait for the roads to get cleared."

"You just have an excuse for everything," he laughed and she shrugged. "But you're probably right," he conceded, rolling his eyes.

"I think the sandwiches are done," she said, nodding toward the stove and letting her legs fall from around him. He pushed himself away from her and plated them before handing her one and pushing himself to sit on the breakfast bar across from her. As they ate, he kept his eyes on her, studying her easy movements and hurried pace. When she was finished, she looked up to find him staring and immediately blushed. He smiled and quickly finished his sandwich and slid off the counter to grab her dish.

"Back to bed," he said after he put both plates and the frying pan into his sink. "Let's go," he nodded toward his room, taking her hands and pulling her to stand.

"Is it okay if I wash my hands?" She laughed, pulling them out of his to run under some water. He stood flush behind her and washed his as well. She handed him a paper towel and they both dried off, tossing them into the trash. He stepped back and she turned to face. "Okay," she smiled, standing taller to kiss him. "Come on."


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: Here's the next one! It's got a little bit of everything... Maybe not everything, but everything I care about. Sam and Andy. Sam and Oliver. Andy and Traci. Andy and Chris (Chris is ridiculously underrated). Work. Fluff. And just a hint of drama. A very small hint, but a hint none the less. Enjoy! Let me know what you think.**

"Samuel Benjamin Swarek," Andy grunted from where she stood in his living room. Her hands were on her hips and she was looking toward his bedroom, willing him to get the hell out of it. "We're going to be late."

"Please don't use my full name," he said as he walked out, pulling on his jacket. "It makes me feel like I just broke my grandmother's favorite vase."

"Fine, then let's go," she said, pointing toward the door. "You'd think it was _my _first day back after being sidelined by a critical injury."

"Calm down," he laughed, tossing her her hat. She caught it and pulled it over her ears, glaring at him as he stood still. "Andy, we're not going to be late."

"We're not going to be early," she said, crossing her arms. He rolled his eyes and walked toward her with a smirk. "Don't," she laughed, stepping back from him. "We definitely don't have time for that."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said innocently, grabbing the end of her jacket sleeve. She laughed as she caught herself against his chest and he kissed her, silencing her immediately.

"Sam," she whined, wrenching her sleeve from his grasp and stepping back. "We need to go."

"You're no fun," he accused, putting his hand on the small of her back and ushering her out of his house.

"What do you think you're going to be doing the next couple of weeks?" Andy asked once they were in his truck and he was backing out onto the street.

"Nothing exciting," he told her, turning the heat up. "Filing, phone calls, but at least I won't be stuck at home all day."

"That's true," she nodded, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her parka. "Do you think it's ever going to stop snowing?" She asked him, looking out the window as the snow fell.

"Not anytime soon," he promised and she sighed, resting her head back against the seat. "You've lived here your whole life, you'd think you'd be used to it by now."

"I am," she said, letting her head fall to the side so she could look at him. "I just don't like it."

"You ski. You snowboard," he argued. "You need snow to do those things."

"I don't get a lot of that done from the streets of Toronto, Sam," she laughed and he shrugged. When he pulled into the station, he could feel Andy watching him closely and he offered her a small smile. "They're going to clap for you."

"I hate when people clap for me," he told her and she smiled.

"You love when people clap for you," she told him and he shook his head with a small smile. "Whatever. You deserve it."

"Let's go," he said, opening his door and she followed suit. They walked into the station together, shoulder to shoulder, and Andy realized how long it had been since they had done that as a couple. She stopped and watched him walk ahead of her until he noticed she wasn't next to him anymore. "What's wrong, McNally?"

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head and catching up with him. "I'll see you in Parade?"

"Yeah," he nodded, still confused. "I'll see you there."

"Okay," she smiled tightly, turning into the locker room.

Sam watched her until she was out of sight and then took a look down the hallway. He nodded to himself and just as he was about to turn into the locker room, he felt an arm circle around his neck. "Welcome back, Brother," Oliver said, steering him inside. "How's it feel?"

"Fine. Good," he shrugged. "McNally's being weird," he said, stopping to open his locker.

"Isn't she always?" Oliver asked with an easy smile, opening up his own locker. Sam shrugged and tossed his bag inside and looked at his vest. Letting out a deep breath, he hung up his jacket and shook his head. When he closed his locker, Oliver was buttoning up his shirt, paying close attention to him. "It's all right," he promised and Sam nodded slowly. He turned toward the door when he heard voices and saw Collins and Diaz walking in.

"Hey, welcome back," Diaz said, shaking his hand before moving on to his locker.

"Thanks," Sam said, turning toward him as he walked past. When he turned around again, Collins was standing in front of him with a small smile.

"Welcome back, Detective," he said, offering his hand.

"Thanks, Collins," Sam said, shaking it.

Oliver joined them, patting Sam on the back, and Nick dropped his hand. "See you in Parade," he said and both Sam and Oliver nodded before leaving the locker room and heading to get their guns.

As they got their equipment ready, Andy walked in with Traci, stopping their conversation at the sight of Sam's back. Andy shook her head at Traci and she shrugged before going to her locker. "McNally," Oliver greeted, securing his belt. "How's it going."

"Good," she smiled, turning the dial on her lock. "How are you?"

"Same as always," he shrugged, looking between her and Sam. "Ready, Sammy?"

"Yeah," he nodded, squeezing Andy's shoulder on his way out. She smiled at him and put her belt on.

"So, _what's _going on?" Traci asked, leaning against the side of the lockers and crossing her arms.

"I don't remember how to be his girlfriend at work," Andy explained, checking her gun.

"Um, don't act like his girlfriend," Traci shrugged. "I mean, treat each other like colleagues when you're on the job."

"Like you and Steve?" Andy asked with narrow eyes and a smile.

"Okay," Traci laughed, standing up straight. "You caught us kissing once."

"Yeah, I _caught _you once," Andy laughed as they walked out to the hallway. "But how many times has it happened?"

"That's not important," Traci insisted and Andy laughed again. "Just don't worry about it, Andy. You guys did okay last time you were together."

"I know," she nodded. "You're right. No unnecessary touching, no lingering looks, I've got this."

"Do you?" Traci asked, raising an eyebrow and Andy nodded as they walked into Parade. Traci sat on top of the desk against the wall next to Sam while Andy sat down next to Chris and Nick.

"Hey, how's it going?" Nick asked, sliding a coffee to her.

"Good," she said, taking a sip. "Thanks for this."

"No problem," he smiled and she returned it before drinking down half of it. "Whoa, slow down. You're going to burn yourself."

"If we're going to be directing traffic in the snow again, I'm going to need to just to stay warm," she told him and he laughed, shaking his head.

"Good morning," Frank said as he walked to the front of the room. Once he was behind the podium, he made eye contact with Sam and smiled. "Everyone, welcome back Detective Swarek." The whole room turned toward him to clap and he nodded his head graciously. Andy smiled at him when his eyes found hers and he felt himself relax as the applause died down. "And Chloe is leaving the hospital today and thanks you all for the support. We're not sure when she'll be returning for work, but I'll keep you updated."

When the second round of applause ended, Frank handed out assignments and Andy smiled at Chris when they were paired together. When the room got up to head out, Andy was surprised to see that Sam and Traci had already left and were heading up the stairs to their office. She smiled at Gail and Dov as they walked by her and said goodbye to Oliver and Nick as they left. "Meet you at the car?" Andy asked and Chris nodded. "Coffee's on me all day."

"Sweet," he smiled, clapping her on the back. Andy watched him grab the keys and she hurried to Sam's desk. "Hey," she said quietly, tapping his chair with her toe.

"Hey," he said, looking up from the pile of notes on his desk, squinting. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to say good luck," she shrugged, putting her hands into her jacket pockets and looking down at her feet. "And I probably won't see you before you leave today, so..."

"Well, thanks," he smiled and she nodded. "Is everything okay? You're being... weird."

"Everything's fine," she promised. "It's just good to see you back here."

"It's good to be back," he told her and she nodded again.

"If I don't see you before you go, I'll see you in the morning, okay?" She asked and he stood up, crossing his arms. "What?" She asked, stepping back and looking up to meet his eyes.

"I'm not even going to see you tonight?" He asked and she quickly looked around them, noticing both Traci and Luke watching them.

"If you want to," she laughed awkwardly, shuffling from one foot to the other. "We didn't have plans, so I didn't want to assume anything."

"We never have _plans, _McNally," he reminded her and she shrugged, looking down at his chest. "Hey," he said and she looked up at his face again. "Will I see you tonight?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'll come over after work. Just make sure the heat's on, okay?"

"I'll put it on as soon as I get home. I forgot yesterday and I just don't get as cold as you do," he teased her and she smiled, quirking her eyebrows.

"I'll see you later," she told him and he nodded. "Have a good shift."

"You, too."

Andy smiled and Sam sat down. On her way out of the office, Traci fell into step beside her and walked out with her. "You _are _being weird," Traci accused and Andy pursed her lips.

"I know," she sighed. "It would have helped if you and Luke weren't watching us like hawks. Especially Luke."

"Don't worry about Callaghan," Traci said as they reached the door. "He'll be gone as soon as Sam is cleared to be out on the streets again."

"Yeah, in two weeks," Andy sighed and Traci nodded. "He's not so bad, but he doesn't hide his feelings very well."

"Well, he never has," Traci laughed. "Listen, have a good shift. I'll keep an eye on Swarek."

"Thanks, but I'm sure he'll be okay behind that desk," Andy laughed and Traci shrugged before turning back to the office.

* * *

At the end of her shift, Andy got changed quickly and fanned her hair over the right side of her face before pulling her hat down as low as she could while still being able to see. When she left the locker room, she ran into Chris and he smiled at her. "How's it feel?" He asked and she shrugged, nodding toward the door.

As they walked out to the parking lot together, she looked up at him. "How bad does it look?" She asked him and he studied her face.

"Well, I can't really see it right now," he told her and she nodded. "But it didn't look too bad before."

"Chris," she smiled. "It looked like I got hit with a wrecking ball."

"It's not that bad, Andy," he laughed. "Do you need a ride?"

She was about to say yes, but when they reached the parking lot, she looked up to see Sam leaning against his truck. "No, thanks," she told Chris and he nodded with a smile. "Goodnight."

"'Night."

Andy sighed and walked to stand in front of Sam who was smirking at her. "You didn't need to pick me up," she told him and he shrugged, suppressing a smile. "How was your first half day?"

"Fine," he said. All of a sudden, he stepped toward her and cupped her chin in his hand, turning her head. "Andy, what happened?" He asked, pushing her hair gently away from the bruise on her cheek.

"Sam, it's fine," she insisted, pulling her head out of his grasp. "It's just a bruise."

"Just a bruise?" He scoffed, pulling her toward him again to get a better look. "McNally, it takes up half of your face."

"You're overreacting," she told him and he rolled his eyes. "Can we talk about it at home, please?" She asked him, looking at the people walking in and out of the station around them.

He thought about it for a second. "You're okay?" He asked and she nodded. He sighed and kissed her quickly before he opened her door and she climbed in.

As soon as Sam was in the truck, he looked at her and she shook her head, letting him know she wasn't going to talk about it just yet. "Let's just go," she said and he sighed, turning on the truck. Once he was on the road, he reached for her thigh and kept his hand there for the short ride to his house. After a minute or so, he felt her hand close around his and he looked at her sideways. She was looking out her window, effectively hiding the bruise from him, and he turned back to look at the road in front of them.

"Andy," he said quietly as he turned the truck off outside of his house.

"Sam, it's cold. I've had a long day and I really just want to go inside and relax," she told him and when she looked at him she could see the worry on his face. "With you. So, can we please go inside?"

"Okay," he nodded and they got out of the truck. He followed closely behind as she made her way up the steps, keeping his hand on the small of her back. When they reached the door, she stepped to the side and he unlocked it, pushing it open for her to walk through ahead of him. She offered him a small smile and walked inside, peeling off her hat and stuffing it in her pocket. He closed the door and waited for her to hand him her jacket. When she did, he tried to get a look at her face but she turned away too quickly and sat down on his couch, kicking off her shoes and curling herself against the arm. He tossed both of their jackets in the closet and toed each of his shoes off before sitting on the opposite end of the couch. "Can you please just tell me what happened?" He asked her, practically begging.

"I got elbowed in the face, Sam," she sighed, resting the back of her head on the arm of the couch and stretching out until her legs rested on his lap. "And then punched in the face by the same guy before Chris was able to get him in cuffs. Don't worry, he roughed him up a bit."

"Who was this guy?" He asked, pushing her body toward the inside of the couch so he could rest on his side next to her.

"He was some 19-year-old punk we were chasing down for assaulting a younger kid," she explained, rolling onto her side to face him. "I got to him first while Chris checked on the 15-year-old boy who was bleeding from his nose and already had a black eye forming. When I got a hold of one of his arms, he took me by surprise and elbowed me- hard. So, I stumbled back and just as Chris came toward us, the kid punched me in the _exact _same spot. But I'm fine, Sam. I promise."

He gently turned her head to get a look at her cheek and since she was resting on her right side, she was at an awkward angle and she pushed his hand away. He sighed, but moved his hand to rest on her waist and pulled her closer. "What do you want for dinner?" He asked and she smiled at the topic change.

"I don't care," she promised. "Do you want to just order in?"

"We can do that," he smiled, kissing her gently.

"So, how was filing?" She asked with her first easy smile of the evening.

"Fascinating," he smiled and she laughed. "It was okay," he said seriously. "Like I said, it's better than sitting here alone all day."

"I bet."

"So, are you going to tell me what was going on with you this morning?" He asked, rolling onto his back and pulling her to rest on top of him. "Why you were being so weird?"

Andy sighed and rested her forehead against the side of his neck. "It's dumb," she told him and she felt him laugh. "I got really nervous when we walked into the station together. We haven't done that, as a couple, in a really long time. I forgot how to be Officer McNally and Sam's girlfriend at the same time."

"Yeah," he nodded and she pushed herself up on his chest to get a look at him. "I kind of felt that, too."

"You did?" She asked and he nodded. "I don't want work to come between us or our relationship to make work more complicated than it already is."

"Neither do I."

"Good," she smiled. "Then, we'll figure it out."

"We'll figure it out," he smiled and she kissed him. He slid her off of him and he stood up. "Come on," he said, offering his hand. She took it and let him pull her up and lead her to the kitchen. He dropped her hand and rifled through his freezer until he found a bag of frozen vegetables. "Put this on your face while I order food, okay?"

She looked at the bag he was holding toward her and then smiled up at him before kissing him hard. It surprised him, but he wrapped his arms around her until she laughed and pushed him away. "Okay, that's too cold," she said, reaching behind her where he was holding the bag against her back.

"Sorry," he laughed and she smiled before putting the bag against her face.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: I was so excited to post this chapter while I wrote it. And, don't get me wrong, I still am, but I CANNOT WAIT to post the next chapter. It's such a fun one. But this is about THIS chapter. I hope you like it, I really do. Let me know what you think and I'll post the next chapter soon. **

Andy stood with her arms folded on top of the desk, leaning in to listen to what Gail and Chris were telling her. Apparently, Dov was never home, spending all of his time at Chloe's. She nodded along, but couldn't say much. She was still spending all of _her _time with Sam and he had been back at work for two weeks. So, when they were finished venting about their missing roommate, she shrugged and looked up to see if Oliver was ready to head back out on patrol. When she didn't see him, she looked behind her to see who Gail had just buzzed in.

"I'm looking for Detective Swarek," she said as soon as she was in front of them and Andy looked her up and down. She had long black hair and dark eyes. She almost looked familiar, but Andy couldn't quite place her. Both Chris and Gail gave her pointed looks as if she should answer the question and she stood up straight.

"He's not in until noon today," she told her, looking quickly at her watch. "Which, I guess, is any minute now."

"Oh," she nodded, looking at her own watch. "Should I wait here?" She asked, looking around to find a few seats lined up against the wall.

"Sure," Andy shrugged, looking to Chris. "Officer Diaz can take you in once Detective Swarek's available."

"Thank you, Officer..." She trailed off, looking at her vest to read her name. "McNally? Wow."

"Wow?" Gail asked, snickering and both Chris and Andy looked at her.

"No, I'm sorry. My brother's told me a lot about you is all."

"About her?" Gail asked, standing up to get a better look at the woman. "Wait, who is your brother?"

"You're Sarah?" Andy asked with a tentative smile.

"I'm Sarah," she confirmed with a smile. Gail looked between them before shaking her head and sitting back down.

"Andy," she said, offering her hand. "Sam should be here any second. I can take you back to his desk."

"Thank you," Sarah smiled and Andy nodded before leading her through the bullpen. By the time they were walking up the steps to the detectives' office, Andy heard Oliver.

"McNally, meet me at the car!" He called as he turned out of the bathroom, not even bothering to look up at her.

"Was that Oliver?" Sarah asked, turning back to see him walking away from them.

"Yeah," Andy nodded. "We've had a rough morning, so he's not in the best mood."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that," Sarah said and Andy shrugged and smiled before they walked into the office to find Luke alone.

"This is Sam's desk," Andy pointed and she pulled a chair over for Sarah to sit in. "He really should be here any minute."

"You don't have to wait with me," Sarah insisted, sitting down and taking a look around. "I know Oliver's waiting."

"It's fine," Andy shrugged, positioning herself on the corner of his desk. "Luke, this is Sam's sister, by the way."

"Luke Callaghan," he nodded from his desk.

"Sarah," she smiled and he returned to what he was doing. Sarah looked at Andy who was watching the hallway for a sign of Sam. He had a doctor's appointment to make sure that he was clear to start full duty his next shift. "Can I ask you a question, Andy?"

"Of course," she said, standing up straight like she was addressing the queen.

"You and Sammy are back together?"

"Yes," Andy said slowly, putting her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "He did tell you that didn't he?"

"He doesn't tell me much about his personal life," Sarah admitted and Andy let out an unsteady breath, nodding. "But I've heard so much about you, as his rookie, and he mentioned your breakup around the time he told me about Jerry."

"That's about the time we broke up," Andy confirmed, biting her lip. "We got back together a little over a month ago; when he got shot."

"I figured," Sarah smiled with a shrug. "You've been there for him, then?"

"Right by his side," she nodded.

"He made me promise not to cut my vacation short," Sarah explained. "Otherwise, I would have been here sooner. I've been swamped at work and I knew he wouldn't be _alone_. I knew he had people here who care about him."

"Sarah?" Both Andy and Sarah looked back at the door to see Sam looking between them, his eyebrows knit together. "What are you doing here?"

"I should, uh, go," Andy said, smiling at Sarah. "It was nice to meet you."

"You too, Andy," she said and Andy nodded with a smile.

As she walked past Sam, they watched each other and she patted him gently on his chest. "I'll see you later," she told him and he nodded.

He watched her go, preparing himself to turn back and deal with his unannounced visitor. Turning around, he hazarded a glance at Luke who was watching him with a smirk. "So, now that I'm cleared..." he trailed off and Luke smiled.

"I'll be gone in the next few days," he told him and Sam nodded, moving to sit behind his desk. Luke got up, leaving the siblings alone and Sam watched him go. He turned in his seat and looked at his sister who had been watching him.

"She's nice," she told him.

"I like her," Sam smiled and so did she. "Sarah, what are you doing here?" He asked again and she sighed.

"I just wanted to see you," she told him and he leaned his elbows onto his knees, moving closer to her. "You weren't home, so I figured I'd find you here."

"You could have called," he reminded her. "I would have told you that I was at the doctor's. I would have told you that I have the next couple of days off and it would have been a better time. I would have warned McNally. I would have told you about her."

"Why didn't you?"

"I haven't talked to you since I was in the hospital," he shrugged. "We were still figuring things out then. But that's not the point, Sar. You're here, unannounced. That's not like you. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," she promised. "I've just been worried about you and today was my day off," she shrugged. "We're never going to have the same off days; we never have. So, I figured I could pop by and get lucky. Apparently not."

"No," Sam shook his head. "Now's fine. I'm technically not cleared for full duty until my _next_shift, so I'll just be at this desk for the rest of the day."

"Yeah?" Sarah asked with a hopeful smile and Sam nodded. "So, how are you?"

"I'm good," he told her, resting back. "It's been a long five weeks, but I'm finally back to normal."

"And you're happy?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're _happy_ right? With Andy and work and the rest of your life?"

"Those two things are pretty much my _entire_life," he chuckled. "But, yeah, I'm happy. Andy and I... We're really good. Work's been a little boring since I've been back, but that'll be back to normal in a couple of days. How are you, Sarah?" He asked carefully.

"Great," she shrugged and he nodded. "Jake and I are good. The vacation was exactly what we needed. Work's been insane, but it's starting to slow down. Dad's been asking about you."

"Tell Dad that I'm fine," he told her, shaking his head. "That's all Dad needs to know."

"Sammy, he's an old man. I know he's not your favorite person and I understand that, I do. But, he's not going to be around forever. You should see him before it's too late."

"For what?" Sam asked, closing his eyes tightly. "To _forgive_him? Because he's never once apologized, so that's not going to happen, Sarah. Is that why you're here?"

"No," she shook her head. "I just thought I'd mention it. I've forgiven him for the man he was after Mom died and I thought maybe you could, too. You know, now that you're happy- really, truly happy. But, I was wrong. I'm sorry I brought it up."

"Can we talk about something else?" Sam asked, ignoring the lump in his throat and uneasiness in his gut.

"Tell me about your girlfriend," Sarah smiled and Sam rolled his eyes. "Come on, all I know is that you've been in love with her since you were her training officer and that, at some point, you broke up. What happened and what got you back together?"

"Okay," he laughed, shaking his head. "Why don't you come to the Penny tonight? Andy will be there and she's wanted to meet you for a while. But, really, Sarah, that's all that you need to know. We've had a rough go of it, me and McNally. But we're happy now and she is-"

"The one for you?"

Sam hated clichés and anything resembling sappiness, but his sister was right and he knew it. Andy was the one for him and he'd admitted as much to her, just not in a way that made him sound like a naive teenager. "Yeah," he nodded. "She's _it_ for me."

"Good," she said, standing up. "I'm going to take advantage of the city and go shopping so you can get back to work. Call me when you're heading to the Penny. But I can't stay too late; I've got work in the morning."

"That's fine," Sam nodded. "McNally will only need one drink to talk your ear off."

"Great," she smiled before leaving him alone in the office.

* * *

When Andy walked into the station, Oliver stopped her short of the locker rooms. "Sorry I was a jerk all day," he told her and she smiled at him.

"We had a bad morning," she shrugged. "Nothing like a fender bender to start your day off."

"You haven't said much, so I wanted to make sure we're okay," he said and she smiled again.

"Oliver, we're fine," she promised. "Sam's sister showed up earlier. It threw me off."

"Sarah?" He asked with a bright smile and she nodded. "Don't worry about Sarah, McNally. She's much easier to deal with than Sam and you handle him pretty well."

"She seemed nice," she shrugged. "I don't know how long she planned on hanging around, though, so I might not have a chance to worry."

"McNally?" Andy turned to see Sam at the end of the hall. She sighed and turned back to Oliver.

"See you at the Penny," she told him and he nodded before turning into the locker room.

Andy sighed again and walked slowly toward Sam. He was watching her nervously with his hands deep in his pockets and his head bowed just a bit. "Hi," Andy said when she finally reached him.

"Hi," he said, nodding toward the empty interview room. She walked in ahead of him and he closed the door before sitting down on the couch next to her. "I don't know what you and Sarah talked about, but if I had known she was coming I would have told you."

"Sam, she didn't even know we were together," Andy said sadly and Sam nodded.

"I know. That's on me and I'm sorry. I haven't spoken to her since I was in the hospital. If she had called to tell me she was coming to visit, I would have told her. It's not like I'm hiding this," he said, gesturing between them. "She wants to get to know you."

"Do you want that?"

"Of course I do, Andy," he sighed, turning slightly so his knee was against hers. "You know my mom's dead and I don't get along with my dad, so Sarah's the only family I have. You're the two most important people in my life."

Andy looked up at him and grasped his face between her palms, kissing him. He folded his arms around her waist and pressed himself against her, deepening the kiss- putting everything he had into it to let her know just how important she was to him. "I want to get to know her, then," she said when she pulled away from the kiss.

"She's meeting us at the Penny," he smiled, gently running his nose against hers. "She's staying for a drink before going back to St. Catharines."

"I know it's stupid," she started, resting her hands on his shoulders. "But I want her to like me."

"Andy," he smiled, putting his warm hand against her wind burned cheeks. "She'll like you as long as I do. And I do, by the way. I like you a lot."

She smiled and took a moment to watch him and make sure he meant what he said before nodding. "Okay."

"Okay?" He asked and she nodded again. "Go get changed. I'll drive us over there now."

As they stood up, she rolled onto her toes to kiss him gently. "How was your appointment?"

"Good," he nodded. "I'll be back on Wednesday- full duty."

"Congratulations," she smiled, kissing him again.

"Thanks," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "Let's go."

He walked her to the locker room, keeping his hand on her shoulder and she smiled at him when they reached their destination. "I'll be quick," she promised. He nodded and looked around them to make sure there weren't too many people around before kissing her.

"I'll go warm up the truck," he told her and she nodded.

* * *

When they walked into the Penny, Sam's arm slung over Andy's shoulders, Sarah was already there with Oliver. They'd met a few times over the years and became fast friends, something Sam really liked. Having a best friend like Oliver, someone who everyone loved and who loved everyone, always seemed to work in his favor. He looked down at Andy when he felt her body tense.

"She's harmless," he whispered into her ear, pulling her into the hallway for a minute alone.

"She's your older sister," Andy reminded him. "That, in and of itself, makes her terrifying."

"I'm way more hard on people than she is," he told her, leaning against the wall. He held onto her belt loops and pulled her to stand in front of him. "Are you terrified of me?"

"I was when I first met you," she told him and he laughed.

"Well, maybe that's because you thought I had just shot someone," he smirked and she shook her head. "Or because when you walked into the locker room, I was beating the crap out of my locker."

"Sam, she is your older sister," she said with a small smile, ignoring his recap of the day they met. "And if she's anything like you, she's a protective one."

"So what?" He asked, pulling her into his body. "She's got nothing to protect me from. You're just as harmless as she is."

"Tell that to your broken heart last year," she said sadly and he nodded, tightening his grasp on her hips.

"She doesn't know anything about that, Andy," he promised, leaning his forehead against hers. "And she wouldn't care as long as we're together and happy now."

"And we are," she acknowledged. He nodded and kissed her. "Okay, let's go."

She took his hand and they walked over to the bar together. "Hi," Sarah said, smiling brightly as ever.

"Hey," both Sam and Andy said, sitting down next to her.

"I'm going to Peck kick Diaz and Collin's asses in a game of pool," Oliver said, excusing himself. He ran his hand across Andy's shoulders on his way by and she smiled at him.

"So, Oliver told me about the day you had," Sarah said and Andy turned toward her. "Sorry about that."

"It comes with the job I guess," Andy shrugged as she felt Sam's comforting hand slide onto her knee. "But thank you. What did you end up doing all day?"

"I actually went shopping," she smiled. "I didn't plan this trip as well as I should have, so while Sammy was working, I burnt a hole in my credit card."

"We've all been there," Andy laughed and Sarah nodded. Andy turned when a glass was put in front of her, smiling at Sam for ordering for her.

"So, tell me about yourself," Sarah said, leaning into her and Sam looked on with his glass against his lips.

"There's not much to tell," Andy shrugged.

"Well, how did you end up with a schmuck like my brother?"

Andy's eyes widened and she looked back at Sam who shrugged with a roll of his eyes. "It's been a long few years," Andy laughed. "But we're here now, so that's all that matters," she smiled before launching into the tail of her and Sam.


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: This is my Halloween treat for you. It's got nothing to do with Halloween other than the fact that I'm posting it on Halloween. I had A LOT of fun writing this chapter. Like, a lot a lot of fun. So, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it.**

**Thanks for the reviews! You're the best! (Most of you anyway). **

"Don't go," Andy pleaded. Sam, who was on top of her on the couch, smiled down and kissed her again.

"It's only for the weekend, McNally," he reminded her before his lips found the pulse point on her neck.

"That's a long time," she breathed as her hands tangled in the short hair at the base of his neck. "A whole night longer than we normally spend apart."

"You're gonna miss me?" He asked, letting his lips hover just above hers again. She nodded slowly and he kissed her hard. With her knees around his waist, she tangled her legs around his and held him to her. "I've got to go," he grunted against her mouth and she ignored him, pulling him down further.

"You'd rather spend a weekend with the guys?" She asked, rolling her hips to lock with his and his head fell onto her shoulder.

"Andy," he whispered before kissing her neck followed by her jaw. "You've got plans, too."

"Only because you do," she smiled, turning her head to catch his lips. His hand tangled in her hair, holding her to him, and she let out a moan.

It continued like that for a few minutes longer, Sam ignoring the nagging in the back of his mind, reminding him that he had to meet Oliver soon. Andy stopped asking him to stay and just reveled in the little time they had together before he left for Oliver's cabin. They were so preoccupied; they didn't hear her door open or the amused gasps.

"Andrea McNally!" Gail scolded jokingly. Sam's whole body went rigid against Andy's and she let her legs and arms fall from around him. She turned her head to look toward her door and his fell into the crook of her neck, hiding his face.

"What happened to girls' night?" Traci laughed, gesturing to Gail and Chloe on either side of her. "And Detective, don't you have someplace to be?"

"She has a key?" Sam asked into her neck and Andy nodded. "Thanks for the warning, McNally," he laughed, rolling off of her to stand up.

"I don't normally use it," Traci told him and Andy sat up, straightening her top. "But when she doesn't answer a knock on her door, I get a little worried."

"Got it," he nodded, looking down at Andy who offered him a sheepish smile. She stood up and ran her hands over the front of his shirt, flattening the wrinkles. "See you in a couple of days."

"Have fun," She offered even though she had just spent all of her energy in asking him to stay.

"Thanks," he smiled, dropping a kiss on her forehead. He picked his jacket up from the floor where he'd dropped it when Andy first kissed him almost half an hour ago. "Ladies," he said, nodding his head as he passed them. The three of them watched him go before whipping their heads back to look at Andy.

"What?" She asked innocently, crossing her arms.

"Does he always kiss you like that?" Chloe asked, looking back at the door he'd just walked through. She wasn't used to seeing them together, had only just started at the Penny after she was released from the hospital.

"Yes," Traci and Gail answered for Andy, dropping their coats on the counter.

"So, are the guys excited?" Andy asked, sitting back on her couch while the others joined her.

"Practically weeping with excitement," Gail joked. "I don't know why. It's freezing out there."

"It's a guy thing," Traci shrugged. "How big is this cabin? Can all of them fit in there?"

"They've done it before," Andy shrugged. "Although, it's probably a good thing Nick couldn't go, then it might be a little tight."

"I'm surprised they even invited him," Gail said, rolling her eyes. Andy knew it was Oliver that invited him and that it took a little coaxing for Sam to agree to it. It's not that Sam didn't like him or respect him; he just wanted to avoid anything uncomfortable. Once Oliver convinced him that Nick probably wanted the same thing, he conceded and told him he should be invited. Nick, however, had recently admitted to dating an old girlfriend and he had plans with her he couldn't reschedule.

"I know they're all hyped on their masculine weekend away, but we should totally crash their slumber party," Chloe joked, pulling her knees to her chest.

"You know," Gail said, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. "I don't usually agree with her, but she's right. We should _totally_ crash their slumber party."

"We can't do that," Traci laughed.

"I want to see what all the fuss is about!" Gail argued. "Chris has been talking about it nonstop since last week."

"It's a guys' weekend," Andy reminded her. "We can't just invite ourselves. Not to mention, we don't even know where it is."

"I'm sure Celery knows," Chloe offered and Gail pointed at her triumphantly.

"We should do this," she said, looking directly at Andy. "Come on, McNally. Don't you want to see what made Swarek leave a situation like the one we just walked in on?"

"I don't want to intrude," she shrugged, looking to Traci for back up.

"We don't have to intrude," Traci said gently and Andy's eyes widened. "We could just have a look. I mean, what are we going to do with our night anyway? Spying on your boyfriend could be fun."

"If I were in high school, maybe," Andy laughed.

"I want to know why my boyfriend is gone," Chloe shrugged. "Plus, I've barely done anything since I got shot and a little outdoor adventure is exactly what I need."

Andy looked up at Gail who was smiling like she'd already won the argument. "Outdoor adventure, McNally? That's your favorite kind of adventure," she said, pursing her lips and crossing her arms.

"Fine," she sighed, throwing her hands up in defeat. "But if any of them get mad, I'm saying I was kidnapped."

"Okay," Traci laughed.

Andy called Celery, first inviting her to come along and then asking for the address when she told her she had some clients coming in. The four of them piled into Traci's car, bundled up in their warmest jackets and gloves, and drove the hour and some change to Oliver's cabin.

* * *

Sam sat outside on the porch with Oliver, Diaz, and Epstein, his arms crossed over his chest. Why they were outside, watching the sunset like a couple of couples was beyond him, but he accepted it and listened to Oliver and Epstein talk about some case they worked earlier in the week.

All of a sudden, the quiet street below them came to life with a car that looked awfully familiar and he elbowed Diaz when it pulled up outside of the house. "Who's that?" He asked, nodding to the car.

"Looks like Trace," he said. "But I don't know why she'd be all the way out here."

Sam looked closer, squinting his eyes to get a good look. No one was getting out of the car, but he could see people moving inside of it. "That's all of them," he said to himself, loud enough to catch Oliver's attention.

"What's going on?" He asked, looking out at the road.

"McNally, Nash, Peck, and... Price," he said, straining to get a look at all of their faces from the distance. "They're watching us."

"They know we have the higher ground, right?" Dov asked, shaking his head. "They know we can see them, don't they?"

"They probably weren't expecting us to be sitting out on the porch like a bunch of old ladies," Sam mumbled, standing up to look over the railing.

"What do you think they're doing here?" Oliver asked as the others joined him.

"Gail said they didn't really have much planned tonight," Chris shrugged. "They're probably just looking for something to do. Trying to scare us or something."

"Trying to _spy_ on us," Dov corrected.

"They're not even looking at us," Sam laughed. And they weren't. They could clearly see the four of them huddled around the center of the car, looking at and talking to each other, oblivious to the four men watching them.

* * *

When they pulled up outside of the house, Andy shook her head when she noticed them all out on the porch. "They're outside," she announced. "They're gonna kill us."

"They're not paying attention to us," Gail said from the front seat. "It doesn't even look like they're looking this way."

They all turned toward the center of the car, bundling closer together to talk and the added bonus of warmth. "Okay, so we should wait until they get inside and then take a look around," Chloe decided. "Are they really just here to watch the sunset and freeze their asses off?"

"Probably," Traci laughed. "They better go inside soon or I'm turning this car around."

"Give them a minute," Andy said, turning to see their retreating backs as they headed inside. "See," she nodded and they all turned just as the door shut behind Sam.

"Okay, we'll wait a minute and head up there," Chloe said, sounding like she was planning an attack. "I want to get a look in the windows. What do four grown men do in a cabin without cable?"

"Braid each other's hair," Andy smiled and Traci shook her head. "Okay, let's go."

They got out of the car, slowly closing their doors to avoid any loud noises, and Andy put a finger to her lips making sure no one spoke too loud. She led the way with Gail close behind, too close as she kept stepping on the back of her boot. "Back off, Peck," she hissed quietly and Gail walked around her to lead the way. They took the stairs to the porch very carefully, not sure if they would make any creaking sounds. They all breathed a sigh of relief when they got to the landing safely and quietly.

* * *

Inside the house, the four of them were in the living room waiting to see what the girls had up their sleeves. "They just made it up the stairs," Chris reported from his seat on the floor in front of the coffee table. They had started a game of poker, but no one was taking it seriously.

"Price and McNally really think they can make it out there without us noticing?" Oliver asked and Sam chuckled. "The two loudest cops in our division trying to play it stealth with their buddies."

"I don't know, man," Sam shook his head. "When McNally is determined she can do just about anything."

"That's true," Chris nodded. He tilted his head to watch the girls split in two and head in different directions around the house. "She just paired off with Gail. It looks like their heading to the back of the house."

"I left that door in the kitchen unlocked when we brought our bags in," Oliver noted, looking behind him. "Wonder if they're going to try to break in."

"Hopefully they'll realize that they're respectable police officers and knock," Sam shrugged. "Let them have their fun and see how long it lasts before they start complaining about the cold."

"McNally lives for this stuff," Oliver reminded him and he nodded.

"Have you met Gail, though?" Dov asked and they all chuckled, straining to hear anything outside. Sam had to give it to them, they were being especially quiet. From his spot on the couch he could see Andy and Gail hovered together in the corner of the porch, as far away from the outside walls as possible. Knowing Andy, she was probably wishing she'd chosen someone else to make their way around with. Gail seemed much more interested in just knocking down the doors and joining them inside.

* * *

"Gail, you need to _shut up_," Andy warned her. "If we want to make it out of here without them realizing, we need to be quiet."

"I _don't_ want to make it out of here without them realizing," she said, throwing her head back and her arms out to the side. "I want to crash their party. I want to get inside, get some liquor in me, and have a good time. You know Swarek won't be mad at you, right? They'll probably all just laugh and invite us in for some poker."

"I didn't want to do this," Andy reminded her, shaking her head. "I just wanted to stay in and drink some wine. I didn't want to interrupt the guys on their big weekend away."

"Really?" Gail asked with her eyebrows knit together and her lips pursed. "Because it looked like you were trying really hard to keep Sam in your talons earlier."

"My talons?" Andy laughed quietly. "Really?"

Just then, they noticed Traci and Chloe rounding their side of the cabin with their eyebrows raised. Traci waved them over, avoiding the windows and Gail got on her hands and knees to crawl over to her. Andy rolled her eyes and took a quick look inside. She saw the four of them playing cards in the living room and felt safe enough to walk past the back of the house.

"I've got to pee," Chloe said when they reached her and all of their eyes widened. "We shouldn't have stopped for those coffees."

"Price!" Andy whispered harshly. "You should have told us before we climbed the stairs. We could have made a pit stop in the woods."

"I am _not_peeing in the woods," Chloe warned her and Andy shook her head, looking around them. When her eyes scanned the house for the thousandth time, she noticed all four sets of eyes on them. They were still in the living room, but there was a clear path from there to the back of the kitchen.

"The jig is up, ladies," she said at her normal volume. The three of them looked where she was and laughed at the smiles on the guys' faces. "Come on," she smiled, trying the knob on the back door. It was unlocked, so she led them into the kitchen, pointing to the bathroom for Chloe to use.

"Hi Dov," she called before shutting the door behind her.

"Hi," he laughed and the three other girls walked into the living room with their arms crossed.

"Officers," Oliver greeted them, smiling. Andy nodded at him and focused her eyes on Sam. He was smirking at her, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek.

"This wasn't my idea," she told them and he nodded sarcastically. "It wasn't!"

"She's lying," Gail said and Andy widened her eyes at her. "This was all her brilliant idea. She couldn't imagine what you four could be doing up here all by yourselves."

"Gail," Traci laughed, shaking her head.

"It was my idea," Chloe admitted, drying her hands on her jeans. "We wanted to know what the big deal was."

"She's right," Traci shrugged. "It just looks like a cabin."

"Yeah," Chris nodded. "A cabin away from all of the crazy women in our lives."

"Hey!" Traci argued and he shrugged with his easy smile.

"I'm just kidding," he told her.

"Well, we won't stay long," Andy promised. "It's really not our place."

Sam nodded to the seat next to him and she took off her coat and tossed it on top of a box before sitting down. Traci and Gail sat on the floor, next to Chris, and Chloe sat on Dov's lap on the other end of the couch.

"Really couldn't make it the whole weekend, huh?" Sam asked Andy quietly into her ear and she shook her head and elbowed him in the chest.

"I already told you this wasn't my idea," she said, settling into his side as his arm hugged her across her shoulders. "But I guess I'm not complaining," she admitted, looking up at him.

He was smiling at her and she rested her head on his shoulder. After he kissed the crown of her head, he laced the fingers of his free hand through hers. "Epstein and Diaz were just about to cook up some burgers and dogs," Sam announced and Chris sighed before standing up. "You want some?"

"Yes," Gail answered for them. "And some alcohol. Any kind will work."

"Absolutely," Chloe clapped, standing up so Dov could go with Chris. "Oliver, you don't mind, do you?"

"Oliver's a dad," Dov laughed. "He packs for two nights the same way I'd pack for a month. There's plenty."

"He's right," Oliver laughed. "Help yourselves."

Gail and Chloe joined Chris and Dov in the kitchen, so Traci took Dov's spot on the couch and turned toward Oliver. "Honestly, if you want us to leave, tell me and we'll go," she said. "Guys night just turned into the Penny."

Sam looked at Oliver with raised eyebrows, ready to do whatever he wanted. If he wanted the girls to leave, he'd escort them out himself. If he didn't mind them staying a couple of hours for dinner and drinks, he wouldn't mind having Andy keeping him warm on the couch a little while longer.

"Are you kidding me?" Oliver laughed. "Stay. We were just going to play some cards tonight. The real fun doesn't start until the hunting begins in the morning."

"We will _not _be here for that," Andy promised and Oliver shrugged, taking a sip of his beer.

"Your loss," Sam whispered into her hair and she turned around kissed him.

"Listen, this isn't your couch, McNally," Traci said. "Let's keep it PG over there."

"What?" Oliver asked with a laugh.

"Oh, you should have seen what Gail, Chloe, and I walked in on earlier," Traci told him. "These two go at it like a couple of teenagers when you leave them alone long enough."

"Not on my couch," Oliver warned them, shaking his head. "No way."

"I think I can behave myself, Oliver," Andy laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah," Sam said. "It's not like we caught her sneaking around outside your house or anything."

"We were against this," Traci reminded them. "Andy was the last to agree to it."

"She still agreed to it," Oliver laughed.

"Yeah, and you drove," Sam reminded her. She scrunched her face and laughed.

Gail and Chloe walked in, handing beers out as they made their way around the room. "Dinner shouldn't take long," Chloe reported.

"Good, I'm starving," Oliver said, finishing his first beer and cracking open the one he'd just been handed.

"So, this is a pretty nice place," Gail said, taking a look around the living room.

"We're going to use it a lot more next year," Oliver said, looking around. "I bought it too late. The girls have only been up once and they wouldn't stop complaining about the cold."

"I don't blame them," Traci said.

"I miss doing things like this," Andy said, snuggling further into Sam's side. His arm tightened around her shoulders and he took a long sip of his beer. "I haven't been camping since I spent that spring in North Bay."

"Ah, yes," Oliver said, quirking his eyebrows. "What did you do for three months?"

"This," she shrugged. "Mostly in tents, though. And I went kayaking and sky diving. It was fun," she said, looking up at Sam. "Lonely, but fun."

He kissed her forehead and she smiled at him before turning back to the room. She noticed that whenever the two of them did anything too intimate, the others turned away. She wasn't sure if it was because it made them uncomfortable or if they just weren't used to it. Traci and Oliver really didn't mind it because they knew better than the rest about Sam and Andy's relationship, but most of the time they followed suit and averted their gaze.

* * *

A few hours later, Andy stood with her back against the car, holding Sam's jacket in her gloved hands. Traci and Gail were in the car, heat blasting, and Dov and Chloe were saying goodbye in the driveway. "Sorry we crashed your party," Andy said and Sam laughed before kissing her.

"Don't be," he told her, shaking his head. "We all had fun and we've got another night here."

"What am I going to do in my big bed all alone?" She asked, looking directly at his lips. "I mean, two nights without you? I'm going to freeze."

"You'll be fine," he chuckled. "But don't get used to it okay?"

"I never have," she said honestly and he nodded before kissing her slowly, cupping her cheek. "Go inside. I'll see you in a couple of days."

"For real this time?" He asked with a smirk.

"Yes," she laughed. "Unfortunately."

"Have a good weekend, McNally," he told her and she nodded.

"You too," she said, kissing him once more. "You know I don't mean it, right? I mean, I'm going to hate it without you the next couple of nights, but I want you to have fun."

"Thanks," he nodded, stepping away from her. "I know."

"So, do that," she nodded to herself, putting her hands into her pockets. "Go have fun with the guys."

"I will," he promised, backing away with his eyes on her. "Have fun with the girls. Don't let Peck drink anymore."

"I can't make any promises," she laughed and he shrugged. "But we'll be good. Don't worry about us."

"Well, you know how I am," he said and she nodded. "Night, McNally."

"Night, Sam," she smiled and he turned around, grabbing Dov by the collar and dragging him up the stairs.

Once Andy and Chloe were in the car, Gail turned in the front seat. "We called Steve and Holly," she told them. "They're meeting us at the Penny before last call."

"Sam told me not to let you drink anymore," Andy laughed and Gail rolled her eyes.

"Well, Mom, tell Dad I can handle it," she said and Andy shrugged.

"Just make sure Holly knows she's responsible for dragging your drunken ass home."

"Don't worry about my ass," Gail said, sticking out her tongue and Andy laughed.


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: Chapter 19. Wow. I can't believe there's 19 chapters of this stories. That's crazy! I've been planning the last chapter (the next chapter) for the past couple of days. It's coming along pretty well, but I want to hear from you!**

**As of right now, Chapter 20 will be the end. It's a pretty heavy chapter and I want it that way. But... I have a real problem with closure, so I'm thinking of writing an epilogue. Let me know if you want to see one and I'll take it into consideration. If I do write an epilogue, I've already got a pretty good idea of what it will be.**

Andy stood at the perimeter of the crime scene that most of the platoon was working. Five feet to her right was Dov and Nick stood on the other side of her. Both of them had their arms crossed against their chests as they surveyed the crowd continuing to gather. Andy however, stood with her back to the crowd, watching the rest of the officers bagging evidence and talking to witnesses. She specifically had her eyes on Sam, who was talking to a woman around Andy's age that seemed especially worked up. Sam nodded along to her statement, taking notes and looking around the scene every so often. When his eyes landed on hers, she turned away from him quickly and looked out at the even larger crowd.

"I don't get what the big deal is," Nick said to her, just loud enough for the people crowding around the crime scene tape to hear. "No shots were fired, no one was injured. Why are there so many people here?

"Bored curiousity," Dov said and Andy nodded. "What else are they going to do on a Tuesday night?"

Andy turned her head back to look at the scene again; a hostage situation that ended two hours before and, like Nick had mentioned, no one was injured and not a single shot was fired. She would understand the crowd if the hostages were still inside, but hours later after a quiet ending, it made no sense for them to be there waiting. There was nothing to wait for and they were only making it harder for the job at hand to be finished. She and the guys should have been in the house with the rest of the officers, but someone had to make sure they didn't cross any lines.

"McNally, Collins," Sam called and they both turned toward him. "Take her back to the station, please. I'll meet you there in a little bit."

Andy and Nick walked toward him and the same woman he'd been talking to earlier. Nick led her to their cruiser and Andy raised her eyebrows in Sam's direction. "Why are we taking her to the station?" She asked and Sam smiled tightly, crossing his arms.

"Because I asked you to," he said and she narrowed her eyes at him scornfully.

"Yes, _Sir_," she spat. "But is there something we should know before you join us back there?"

"I'm right behind you, McNally," he told her and she rolled her eyes before walking to the car and getting in next to Nick. When she looked out her window at Sam he lifted a hand and waved at her with the same tight, fake smile he'd been using on her all day.

"Let's go," she said to Nick and he nodded quickly before driving away. She kept her eyes trained out the window, watching the snow melt across the city, and ignored the questioning looks coming from the driver's seat.

She and Sam had been fighting since they woke up that morning. It was small and stupid and they both knew it, but they were far too stubborn to admit it. They'd stayed up late watching a movie and she woke up in a terrible mood., he woke up with a short fuse, and that's how it all started. She'd told him that she was never staying up that late to watch a stupid movie on TV again and he turned around and said she was the one that wouldn't let him shut it off. That one little argument broke out a hundred other little arguments that they'd been smart enough to ignore over the last three months. Arguments like, where they spent their nights to who always left empty containers in the fridge and cabinets- things neither of them actually cared about.

Sam ended it all in Parade when he sneered at her and told her to have a "wonderful day with your _friend_, Collins," as if she was the one who made the assignments or if she actually had any interest in being anything more than friends and partners. So, she smiled, patted him a little too hard on the chest, and told him, "I will. Don't worry about me; _Nick_ has my back."

That was followed by his first fake, tight smile of the day that she followed with a scowl and shake of her head. He watched her as she met Collins at the coffeemaker and as they walked out to the back lot together. Nothing had changed between them and he knew it. Collins had even been dating someone for a couple of months. Sam wasn't jealous of him, knew he had no reason to be. But, he couldn't help the dig to fuel the already flaming fire between them.

Sam wasn't lying at the scene, he walked into the station not even five minutes after Andy, Nick, and their witness. He took her off of their hands as soon as he got there and took her into an interview room, ignoring the confused looks from Nick and Andy. They had no orders, so they filled out their paperwork and Andy looked up when Sam walked past them with the woman in a pair of cuffs. He smiled at her, all cocky and proud, and she watched him with narrow, dark eyes. He could have told her why he was taking that woman in, but she knew he wanted to show it off himself later when everything was confirmed. She didn't even know what the story was yet, but she knew him well enough to know he'd figured it out long before he had her bring the suspect to the station.

* * *

When all of her paperwork was finished and she was changed and ready to head out, Andy left the locker room with her eyes cast toward the floor. She found out through Dov and Gail that the woman she brought in earlier in the night was a conspirator in the whole thing. She still hadn't spoken to Sam and she had no immediate plans to change that. If he wanted to keep her in the blue, only to brag about it later, she wasn't interested.

Before she reached the parking lot, she saw him down the hall talking to Oliver with an honest smile on his face. A smile he'd had no interest in sharing with her all day. So, she continued outside and hugged her coat tighter around her body. She walked to the Penny with her head down, shielding her face from the cold. When she got there and saw Sam's truck already parked there, knowing he'd left after her, she almost turned around to walk home. It's not like she expected a ride from him after the day they'd had, but if he drove by her and didn't offer her one- well, that would be a whole other story.

Once inside, she spotted her friends at their regular table and hung up her jacket. She went to the bar and ordered a scotch, hoping it would warm her up, and shot daggers at the back of Sam's head. As soon as the scotch was in her hand, she told Liam to start a tab and went to sit with her friends.

"Long day?" Traci asked with a knowing look. Andy looked at her, completely expressionless, and drank a third of the liquor in her glass. "Me too," Traci said, clinking her glass against Andy's.

She smiled at her best friend and they took down some more of their drinks together. "You want to talk about whatever's bothering you?" Andy asked and Traci laughed.

"Same as you," she told her. "Swarek's been on a war path all day."

"Yeah, he's a real charmer," Andy said flatly, turning her head to get a look at him. He turned toward her at the same time and they locked eyes for a second, both sets dark and annoyed. "A _real_ charmer," she repeated before turning away from him.

"What the hell happened?"

"Nothing really," Andy shrugged. "We've just been at each other's throats all day, fighting about everything. And then he made some sarcastic remark about me and Nick working together. And it's ridiculous, but he's an ass."

"I can vouch for that," Traci nodded. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said, bobbing her head. "We'll deal with it and be fine. I just don't have the patience right now."

"Okay," Traci said skeptically and Andy offered a small but sincere smile.

* * *

When Sam left the bar, he considered stopping to talk to Andy, but he wasn't ready to argue any more. So, he left without any words shared between them and she watched him the whole time. When she had showed up, he figured she must have walked and he actually felt a little bad. He'd gone the long way to stop at the ATM, though, and didn't pass her at all. He was so caught up with being annoyed with her, that he didn't even stop to think about how she'd get from the station to the Penny or home. He always just figured she'd find a ride. But, her friends were there before he even walked in, so he supposed walking was her only option that night.

When he got to his house and got showered, he started to regret the day he and Andy had. By no means was it all his fault, but they definitely shared the blame. The thought of going to sleep- in separate beds nonetheless-angry drove him insane. He didn't want to end the day the same way they'd started it. Honestly, he didn't want to end the day without her. He got out of the shower and changed into a pair of sweats and a thermal shirt. He checked his phone and saw no missed calls or messages, from Andy or anyone else, so he called her himself. When it went straight to voicemail, he grabbed his keys and drove to her condo.

He saw her living room light on from the street and breathed a sigh of relief. As soon as he parked the car, he was hopping out and hurrying inside. He left his house without his jacket, determined to make things right. The whole thing between them started off dumb and petty and ended pretty much the same way. Bringing up Collins was low for him and throwing it in his face was low for her.

Once inside, he took the walk to her door slowly, sure he was going to back down and go back to his own house and his own bed to deal with it another time. But he made it there and knocked three times, waiting for her to answer.

She did so slowly, knowing he was the only one who would show up at her house at that time of night, knocking like he was there to break up a party. "What?" She asked when she finally did open the door.

"Can we talk?" He asked, looking past her into the living room.

"No," she said and his eyes focused on her. "It's late and I don't want tomorrow to be another day like today."

"We have the day off tomorrow," he reminded her. "You can sleep in."

Andy hated that he was right, but walked inside leaving the door open for him to follow. "What do you want, Sam?" She asked, curling under a blanket on her couch. He sat at the other end, right where her toes reached to avoid any unwanted contact, and looked at her.

"We've been idiots all day," he said bluntly.

"I know you have."

"_We_," he reiterated, rolling his eyes. "We've both been idiots since the moment we woke up."

"Yes," she agreed shortly, not making it easy for him. "Are you here to point that out to me? Or did you have an actual reason for showing up here uninvited?"

"Knock it off, Andy," he said, shaking his head. "You know I'm here to apologize. I know you know that."

"Well, you haven't apologized yet, so I don't know anything, Sam," she said, sitting up and fixing him with a hard look.

"Am I the only one that should be apologizing, Andy? Really?"

"No," she shrugged. After taking a deep breath, she said, "I'm sorry that I've been short with you all day. I'm sorry we had a bad day."

"So am I," he sighed, resting his head against the back of her couch. "I'm sorry."

"What was that about Nick this morning?" She asked and his head fell to the side so he could get a look at her.

"Stupid," he shrugged. "I know there's nothing going on with you two. It was just an easy dig."

"It was cold," she corrected and he nodded, letting out a deep breath. "Nick's my friend and that's not going to change, but that doesn't mean there's anything else going on with us."

"I know that," he promised. "Like I said, it was easy and I was in a bad mood."

"Sorry I dug back," she said quietly. "I wasn't lying, Nick does have my back, but I shouldn't have said it like_you_don't."

"It's fine," he shrugged. "We had a bad day, you know? It happens."

"I didn't enjoy it," she admitted and he smiled. "Especially the long, cold walk to the Penny."

"Yeah," he cringed. "Sorry about that. I stopped at the ATM; I didn't pass you or anything."

"Good," she smiled. "Otherwise, this _would not_be over," she laughed.

"So, does that means that it _is_over?" He asked hopefully and she nodded, smiling. He let out a sigh of relief and moved so he was resting above her with his hands on either side of her head. "Good," he said and she nodded before leaning up to kiss him.

"I would have never gotten any sleep if you didn't show up," she told him quietly and he nodded, swallowing. "I would have just ended up at your door in few hours."

"I know," he nodded and she moved under him so he could rest on top of her completely. "It's not even that we were fighting. It's the fact that I..." he trailed off, looking at her lips.

"I need you there, too," she told him and he looked up to her eyes again, smiling. "It's stupid and pathetic, considering how long we went without each other."

"It doesn't matter," he insisted. "When we work opposite schedules, it's the worst. Because while you're working nights, I'm not sleeping for my day shift."

"Believe me, I know," she laughed, putting her arms around his shoulders. "But the time apart is good for us. We're not spending every waking second together like we used to. We have a chance to actually miss each other."

"You're right," he nodded. She smiled and he kissed her before rolling off her to stand. "Bed?"

"Yeah," she nodded, standing up. She looked up at him, running her hands up his chest. "I'm sorry about today. Stupid."

"I'm sorry, too," he nodded. She kissed him slowly and he reciprocated by guiding her legs to rest around his waist. "Bed," he said against her lips and she locked her ankles behind his back and hugged him tightly around his neck.


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: There is A LOT going on in this chapter. I'll be the first to admit it. Which is why it is over 6,000 words long. Holy crap, that is too long. I was going to break it into two chapters, but then I decided against it. So, here's your super chunky chapter. The epilogue will be up later this week. I'm going to want to play around with that a little longer. You have no idea how long it took me to get this chapter just right. And I'm still not sure if it is. I'm actually terrified to post it, but it's as good as it'll get.**

**Fair warning: I cried while writing this. I don't think that's ever happened, so enjoy that. And thank you all for the reviews, keep them up because I'm DYING to know what you all think of this chapter.**

No one would tell him anything. No one would let him leave his desk. Andy was out there-missing- and there was nothing he could do about it. He sat in his seat, stewing as he watched the commotion going on below. Every so often one of his friends or hers would look at him with such pity that he wanted to scream. He didn't want their pity. He wanted them to find her and he wanted to get the whoever had her.

No one knew who it was that took her, but each set of partners were given a list of names to check in on. Names of people that she may have pissed off in the last few years. He was glad that Nash had a list of her most recent arrests and that Steve Peck had offered her his services. If he couldn't be out there looking for her, he trusted the two detectives most of all. There was also a team of people designated to retracing her possible steps the night before, in case there was any evidence or, god forbid, a body. When someone sat down in the chair behind him, he turned around slowly, his face completely blank.

"We're going to get her," Oliver told him and he just rested his elbows on his desk and hid his face in his hands. "Sam, we're going to find her."

"Last week," he said, his voice gruff as he lifted his head again. "We spent an entire day fighting about _nothing_. Nothing, Oliver. We fought all day about _nothing_."

"I remember," he nodded, watching his friend closely. "You made up, though. Couples... they fight, Sammy."

"A whole day was wasted," Sam said, leaning as far back in his chair as possible. "_If _we don't find her, that's a whole day that we lost because we stayed up too late watching a stupid movie."

"We're going to find her," Oliver said again. "We've been here before," he reminded him. "With Peck and with me. We _will _find McNally."

Sam looked up as Chris walked in behind Oliver. "Sir, Staff Sergeant Best is ready for you to head out," he said and Oliver nodded, keeping his eyes on Sam.

"Thanks, Diaz," he said, standing up slowly. His gaze lingered a little bit longer on his best friend who sat motionless, staring off at nothing. When he finally turned around, Sam vaguely heard him telling Diaz to keep an eye on him.

"It sucks," Chris said and Sam finally focused his eyes on him as he sat down. "When they don't let you do anything to help, it sucks."

"Yeah," was all Sam said and Chris swallowed hard before folding his elbows on the desk.

"And I'm sorry we weren't there for her last night," Chris said and Sam closed his eyes, letting his head fall to his chest. They had been at Oliver's for poker night. Andy told him not to worry, the weather was warming up and she'd be fine walking to meet up with the girls at the Penny. When Sam went to pick her up for work, she wasn't there and when she talked to Nash he found out she never even made it to the bar. She figured that he had cancelled his plans and convinced her to stay with him for the night. They all knew how _unlike _Andy it was not to check in with someone and after talking with Tommy and Claire McNally, they knew there was something terribly wrong.

"Diaz, you don't need to babysit me," Sam finally told him when he opened his eyes. Chris offered him a half-hearted smile, but didn't move from his seat.

"I told Traci to bump up one of the names on her list," he said. "My money's on James Guay. We worked the case together, me and Andy, with Detective Callaghan while you were still in the hospital. We accused him of murdering a young girl he thought was his daughter from a past relationship. We didn't have enough evidence to convict him and we never found the actual murderer. Andy took it hard, really believed it was him, but she let it go. I don't think Guay ever did."

"She saw him last week," Sam said. "When we were at the grocery store. She went off to grab some cereal or something and when she came back to find me, she was all spooked."

"Did he say anything to her?" Chris asked and Sam shrugged.

"She didn't want to talk about it much," he admitted. "She just told me the basics of the case and that she saw him."

Chris nodded and got up to look through the files Callaghan left behind. When he found the one for Guay, he put it down in front of Sam and sat again. "Take a look at the case," he said and Sam looked at him before opening up the file. "If you have any questions, I'll be right here. I know it better than anyone else."

So, Sam went through the file while Chris looked on. The whole situation felt all too familiar to both of them. First with Gail's abduction over a year before, then with Christian and Oliver. Not to mentioned what happened with Kevin Ford. The whole thing was starting to get old, if Sam had to be honest. Why 15 Division couldn't have things just a little easier was beyond him. They were the good guys. Where was all that good karma Andy always rattled on about?

"The ex-girlfriend- the mother of the girl- was the one who turned you on to look at this guy?" Sam asked when he was finished and Chris nodded. "Do you think he killed that little girl, Diaz?"

"I do, Sir," he told him and Sam nodded, looking at Callaghan's notes. "Should I call Detective Callaghan in?"

"When are Nash and Peck checking on this guy?" Sam asked.

"I think he was third on their list."

"How do you feel about you and Callaghan going over there now?"

"We know the case," Chris nodded. "I think we should."

"Call him," Sam said and Chris smiled, dialing the number.

Sam listened as Diaz explained the situation to Callaghan. It sounded like he was completely out of the blue on the whole thing, but he hastily agreed for Chris to pick him up and check in on James Guay. "He's getting the warrant now. Do you want to tag along?" Chris asked when he hung up the phone. "I mean, I know you're supposed to stay here, but honestly, I know it's him. You should be there."

Sam thought about it for a while, knowing he wanted to be there for Andy if she was actually there. At that point, though, hours after they realized she'd never made it home, he didn't care what happened as long as they got her back alive. "Let's go," he said and they both stood up.

* * *

"What are _you _doing here?" Luke asked when he slid into the back of Sam's unmarked squad. Diaz was driving and Sam turned around with the angriest eyes Luke had ever seen.

"What do you think I'm doing here?" He asked, practically growling.

"Frank's not gonna like it, Swarek," Luke explained. "That's all I meant."

"If McNally is with Guay, I'm going to be there when we find her," he insisted. "I'm going to be there for her when she needs me."

"Fine," Luke said, giving up the fight. Sam turned back in his seat while Chris continued driving on.

When he started slowing down, Sam looked out his window to take in his surroundings. It wasn't the nicest neighborhood, but it definitely wasn't the worst. He looked over at Chris and saw his jaw tightened and his eyes stormy. Sam wasn't the only one worried about Andy; he could see it in Chris and, when he turned around, in Luke.

"Will you at least stay in the car?" Luke asked when Chris turned the car off. Sam rolled his eyes, but nodded. He knew he wouldn't be able to look the guy in the face without wanting to punch him. "Okay. Let's go, Diaz."

Chris looked back at him and he nodded toward the house, telling him to go. So, Chris left with Callaghan and Sam watched them both head up to the door and inside together while he sat alone in the car. His head was spinning and his heart was racing. If she wasn't inside the house, he had no idea where she could be. No one had called him or Diaz with any news, so they were all coming up short. While he sat there, he saw Peck and Nash pulling up behind his car and he got out.

"What are you doing her, Sam?" Traci asked, looking between him and the house.

"Don't worry," he sighed, leaning against the trunk of his car. "Diaz and Callaghan are inside."

"He really thinks it's this guy?" Steve asked and Sam nodded before turning to look at the house. Just then, a window was broken as a chair flew through it, and all three of them drew their guns. "Sammy, in the car," Steve said and Sam stood still as the other two ran toward the house.

He kept his gun drawn until he saw Callaghan chasing after the suspect and tackling him once he hit the sidewalk. He walked past them and into the house, looking for any of the other three. "Diaz!" He called and then he heard a sob that both broke his heart and lifted a weight from his shoulders. He hurried into the kitchen where he found Traci and Chris comforting Andy. He stopped short, his breathing hitched, and he collapsed onto his knees in front of her. She curled her body into his and her friends stood up from the floor to help Steve continue clearing the rest of the house.

"I'm here," he whispered with his lips at the crown of her head. "You're okay. I'm right here."

* * *

Hours later, at the hospital, Sam sat in the waiting room with his head in his hands. Tommy was on one side of him while Oliver was on the other. Diaz and Nash were sitting across from them while Collins, Epstein, and Gail were sitting in a line of chairs along the wall. Luke and Steve were dealing with James Guay back at the station. After Luke got him cuffed and in the car, he'd gotten a confession out of him. It was like he'd given up as soon as they got into his house. The chair out the window was supposed to be a diversion for him to run away, but there were too many cops and detectives and he really had no chance. Andy had stumbled into the kitchen from a back bedroom, confused and disoriented, falling as soon as her feet hit the cold tile. She was still in the clothes she was wearing the night before when Sam left her in the locker room, but they were dirty and bloody. Her hair was choppy at the ends, like Guay had tried to cut it, and he had admitted to doing just that while he heard Callaghan's knock on the door.

Andy was alive and that's all Sam needed to breathe steadily while he waited to hear anything more. She'd passed out almost as soon as she fell into his arms and they called an ambulance to have her rushed to the hospital where Tommy and the rest of her friends met them. The preliminary checkup told them that she had a concussion and that she had been drugged but thankfully not raped. When the doctors told them that she hadn't been raped, Sam actually choked out a dry sob of relief that was echoed by her father. She needed stitches in her forehead where she hit it when she was attacked. There was a poorly bandaged stab wound in her arm, which Sam guessed came from when she tried to escape, that would need to be cleaned thoroughly and stitched up as well.

He felt a strong hand on his back and he turned his head in his hands toward Tommy who nodded ahead of them. When he looked up, the doctor was standing there and he stood up to be eye to eye with her. "Mr. McNally?" She asked, looking down at Tommy and he stood up as well. "She's ready for visitors, one at a time. I can take you back."

"I'll be quick," he said to Sam who just swallowed and nodded before sitting back down.

"She's okay," Oliver told him and he nodded again. She was okay and she was tough. She would get through it and he would be there to help her.

Ten minutes after Tommy had gone back to see her, he came back to the waiting room to collect Sam. "She's asking for you," he said and Sam nearly jumped up. Before walking back to the room, though, he stepped in front of Diaz and offered his hand.

He stood and shook it, smiling. "Thanks, Diaz," Sam said and he nodded.

"It's Andy," he shrugged. "We _had_ to find her."

"We did because of you," Sam said and Chris smiled again. "Thanks."

When he got to her room, he let his head fall against the door and took a deep breath before pushing it open. When he entered, she smiled at him. Andy McNally was the only person he could imagine smiling after waking up from a drugged up haze of an abduction. "Hey," he choked out, letting the door fall shut as he made his way to her bed.

"How was your day?" She asked and he laughed humorlessly as he laid down next to her.

"You know," he sighed. "Pretty boring. How was yours?"

"Same," she said and when he looked up at her face, she was crying. He gently turned her head to face his and rested his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I am so sorry."

"Sam," she cried, putting her palm on his cheek. "It's not your fault. You went out with your friends and that's all I planned to do. There's no way we could have known this would happen."

"I'm still sorry," he said and she smiled weakly. He licked his lips before kissing her softly. "I've had a lot of time to think today," he said, running a piece of hair behind her ear. "You know, since my day was so boring and uneventful."

"What about?" She asked quietly, her eyes on his while her fingers scratched the back of his head.

"I think you should sell your condo," he told her. "And I'll get rid of my place. We can buy a house. We'll get a state of the art security system and with the little money we have left, we'll buy you a car."

She smiled at that and he lifted the sleeve of her hospital gown to look at the stitches on her arm. "You can't protect me from everything," she reminded him and his eyes found hers again.

"I can try," he told her and she just shook her head. "Andy, _please _let me try."

He was practically begging her and she couldn't help but admit that it didn't sound all that bad. She could live with him in their own house and she supposed it was time to get a car. "You were scared today," she reminded him. "And, believe me, so was I. We'll talk about this later when we're really ready."

"Andy," he sighed, getting off of the bed. "I'm ready, okay? I know I was scared today and I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you were. But this is about so much more, okay? If I could protect you just the _tiniest _bit, then that's what I'm going to do. And if we can wake up together every morning and go to sleep together every night, that's just an added bonus, McNally. Think about it," he said, standing over her with her face between his hands. There were tears in her eyes again and he was almost sure that he was close to crying himself. "We could finally get that dog and there would be an actual yard for it. We can split the costs of groceries and toilet paper. You're always complaining about how much money you spend on toilet paper."

"I don't complain about toilet paper that much," she laughed through her tears and he smiled.

"You do, actually," he laughed. "At least once a week."

"Okay," she said, letting out another sob and he closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath. "Yeah, let's do it," she shrugged.

"Yeah?" He asked and she nodded. He kissed her, harder than he probably should have while in her condition. "Don't think I won't hold you to this. I don't care how many pain killers you're on, McNally. This is happening."

"I won't back down," she laughed and he smiled, kissing her slowly.

"I love you," he breathed and she nodded and squeezed his forearms. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said, crying yet again and he closed his eyes letting the moment settle.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Sam bucked up and went out to the waiting room so that Traci could go in and see Andy. He didn't find her, though. Oliver was the only one left and when he saw Sam, he smiled. "Frank called them all back to the station," he explained and Sam nodded, sitting down next to him.

"Where's Tommy?"

"Went to a meeting," Oliver said and Sam narrowed his eyes in confusion. "He said he needed one after a day like today and if he had to leave his little girl with anyone, it'd be you."

"Wow," Sam said, leaning back in his seat as the exhaustion from the whole day finally hit him. "How do you do this?"

"What?" Oliver asked.

"Care so much about so many people," Sam explained, rubbing his hand over his face. "I mean, worrying about McNally is a full time job. You'd think it's because she's a cop and I know how dangerous it is, but that's not- that's not it. I know she's good at her job, really good, and I know everyone she hangs out with and they're good people. I shouldn't have to worry about her, but it's _all _I do."

"You love her," Oliver said simply. "That's all there is to it, Brother."

"How do _you _do it, Oliver?" He asked again and Oliver sighed.

"It's not easy," he shrugged. "But it's unavoidable. You'll see when you get married and the two of you have kids. It's not easy, but it is more than just worrying, Sammy. You just have this whole day sitting on top of you that you forget everything else."

"I just want to rewind to last night and take her home," Sam sighed. "I want to make it so this day never happened. I want McNally to be who she was before James Guay attacked her."

"She's tough," Oliver reminded him. "And with you around, she may not forget what happened, but she'll be able to move past it."

"What the hell did we all do to deserve the last year and a half?" Sam asked and Oliver shrugged. "I mean, 27 doesn't have to deal with half of the crap we've been through."

"I don't know, Brother, but we'll keep moving on like we always do."

"Wouldn't it be nice to just sit back and relax for a couple of months?" Sam laughed. "Write out a few tickets, confiscate some weed?"

"It's not gonna happen, Sammy," Oliver said and he sighed. "I mean, we signed up for this life. We do this for the good people of Toronto. Despite everything, we _are _the good guys and we-15- we are family."

"I know," Sam agreed quietly. He let out a cleansing breath and shook his head a few times as if to wash the day off of him. "You can go in and see her."

"Nah," Oliver said, standing up. "I just wanted to be here when you came out. You go in there with her and tell her I'll see her tomorrow. She needs you."

"Thanks, Brother," Sam said, standing up to give him a hug. "I'll call you later."

"Good," Oliver smiled. He walked away and Sam watched him until he turned a corner and disappeared.

Sam turned back for Andy's room and he found her with her doctor. "I'm going to discharge you in a couple of hours," she said as soon as he was in the room. "I want to keep an eye on you a little while longer before I send you off with this guy," she told her, pointing her thumb at Sam. They both smiled and the doctor left them alone.

"How are you feeling?" Sam asked and she shrugged, wringing her hands in her lap. "Frank called everyone back to the station. Oliver just left and your dad thought it would be a good idea to stop by a meeting."

"So, it's just you and me?" She asked and he nodded, sitting on the edge of her bed. "I guess we should get used to that."

"Yeah, we should," he laughed, leaning in to kiss her.

* * *

Later the next day, Sam stumbled out of Andy's bedroom to answer the knock on the door. "Hey," he said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Hi," Traci smiled. "Is she up?"

"Yeah, she's awake," he nodded, stepping aside to let her through. "Want some coffee?"

"It's 1:30 in the afternoon," she laughed and he shrugged, moving toward the kitchen. "But, you guys had a late night."

"Mmm," he hummed, leaning against the counter as the coffee brewed. "You head in, I'll leave you two alone."

"Thank you," she said, moving through the living room. She slowly opened the bedroom door and smiled at Andy. "Hey, you."

"Hi, Trace," Andy smiled, sitting up further in her bed. "What's up?"

"I figured I might help you out with something," she explained, kicking off her shoes and getting into bed next to Andy.

"What's that?" She asked with a worried smile.

"I'm gonna help you with your hair," Traci shrugged, pulling out her scissors. "I just did Gail's a few weeks ago, so you know I can handle it."

"I don't know..."

"Come on, Andy," Traci said soothingly. "This will good for you. I'll do whatever you want; I can even it out or do something more drastic. You have control, I just have the scissors."

Andy thought about it for a minute and took her hair out of the bun on top of her head. She fanned it around her shoulders and cringed at the feel of the choppy ends. Apparently, Guay was planning on changing her looks before Luke and Chris got to her. She knew she needed to do something with it, so she nodded and got out of bed. Traci smiled triumphantly and followed her out to the living room.

"I'll take a quick shower," Andy said and Traci nodded. "I'll call you when I'm ready."

Sam looked back, his eyebrows knit together in confusion, and Andy smiled at him before walking into the bathroom and closing the door. "What's going on?" He asked and Traci sat next to him.

"I'm cutting her hair," she explained and he nodded, looking down at his mug. "I wanted to talk to you, too."

"Okay," he said, turning to look at her. "What's up?"

Traci pulled out a copy of a case file from her purse and slid it over to him. "Luke and Steve put this together for me to show you," she said as she watched him closely. He swallowed hard before opening it. "Apparently, the little girl that Guay murdered wasn't his daughter and that's why he killed her. His ex-girlfriend," she said, reaching over to flip the page and show him the picture. "Looks an awful lot like someone we know."

"Oh," he said, picking it up to get a better look. James Guay's ex-girlfriend looked remarkably like Andy, just with shorter hair. "That's why he tried to cut her hair?"

"Yeah," Traci nodded. "He didn't kill her_, thankfully_, because he wanted her to have a kid that was actually his. He didn't try have sex with her by the time we got to him because she was so drugged up and he wanted her to be fully conscious."

"I don't get it," Sam sighed, closing the file and pushing it back toward Traci.

"We probably never will," she shrugged, putting it back into her purse. "But we got her back, Sam. And she's okay."

"I know," he nodded. Just then, he heard the shower shut off and Andy call out. "Go ahead," he told Traci. She stood up and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, but I thought you should know," she told him and he nodded.

"No, I appreciate it," he promised. "Thank you."

"I'll tell her the details while I'm cutting her hair," she said. "She deserves to know."

"Yeah, absolutely," he nodded. "Thanks."

She smiled at him and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Sam hung his head low, biting the inside of his cheek, and let everything wash over him. He was exhausted and he could only imagine how Andy was feeling. She was acting stronger than him about the whole thing and it was worrying him. She should be reacting more, she should be angry, she should be terrified. As soon as the time came when she was told was safe for her to sleep, she fell asleep immediately and so did he. He was woken up by her tears falling onto his chest, but she slept on while he cradled her against him. He didn't fall asleep again until her eyes dried. Since leaving the hospital, that was her only reaction to the events.

* * *

Andy walked out of the bathroom with Traci following behind. Sam looked up from the couch when he heard their footsteps and immediately smiled at Andy. Her hair was the shortest he'd ever seen it, cut just below her collarbone, but it looked good. And she was smiling, like she was relieved, which made him happy. He stood up and met her in the middle of the room to run his fingers through her hair. "It looks great," he said and she smiled even wider.

"I didn't need it this short," she shrugged. "But I'm happy I did it."

"Hey, as long as you like it," he said before kissing her quickly.

"I'm gonna go," Traci said, walking past them. "If you need anything, let me know."

"Thank you, Traci," Andy called and she waved before letting the door fall shut behind her. "You really like it?"

"Love it," he promised and she kissed him. "Are you hungry?"

"Starved," she smiled and he laughed. "Want to go out?"

"Are you sure you want to?" He asked, running his hand down her arm that wasn't injured. She nodded and he shrugged. "Let's go."

As they got into the truck, he watched her carefully. "What is it, Sam?" She asked and he turned to face his steering wheel as he started the engine.

"I'm just worried about you," he said quietly.

"I know," she nodded and he started toward their favorite diner. "But I wish you wouldn't be. I really just want to move on."

"I'm not going to stop worrying," he promised with a laugh. "But, I'll do a better job at hiding it."

"Thank you," she laughed. "I'm going to be okay, you know? It wasn't an easy thing to hear what Traci had to tell me, but at least it makes a little more sense now."

"Yeah," he nodded. "I know."

"And I really don't want to live in fear for the rest of my life," she told him and he nodded, feeling the same way. "I will happily live in a house we share and drive a car I don't need, but I don't want what happened to change who I am."

"Okay," he nodded again, pulling into the parking lot. "Then we won't let it."

"Good," she smiled. "I'm starving, let's go."

* * *

Hours later, the two of them were laying together in his bed. They were facing each other and had their legs tangled under the sheets. Sam had just told Andy about the time he and Jerry hid in the back of Oliver's old Jeep and scared the living daylights out of him. She was cracking up, hiding her face behind her hands against his chest. She could feel him laughing against her body, too, and she let out a satisfied sigh. "When did this happen?" She asked, catching her breath and revealing her face.

"I don't know," he shrugged as his laugh subsided. "Seven, eight years ago?" He guessed. "You should have heard him, McNally. He screamed like a little girl and his coffee went everywhere. I don't think he talked to us the rest of the day."

"Oh, man," she laughed again, shaking her head. "Gail and I should try that on Chris."

"Make sure you get it on camera," he said and she nodded.

As they settled down, Sam traced the cut on her forehead gently and she watched his expression change from amusement to worry in a matter of seconds. He squinted at the stitches and moved his fingers over her cheek, her neck, her shoulder, until the reached the stitches on her arm. She rolled her eyes, but let him investigate further. She couldn't deny the fact that she sort of liked having him there, caring about her and for her.

"Can I ask you kind of a random question?" She asked and his eyes found hers again as his hand settled on her waist.

"Sure," he answered, pulling himself closer to her. "What's on your mind?"

"Why did you call me to go over to your undercover apartment that second night?" She asked and his eyebrows raised. She had been thinking about their relationship since he asked her to move in together. That question had been on her mind since the night he called her.

"I wanted to see you," he told her truthfully and she nodded.

"I know, I wanted to see you, too," she said quickly. "But, you knew how risky it was, how stupid. And I know you don't always play by the rules and you color outside the lines and all that, but you knew better. Why did you call me?"

He thought about it for a second, probably for the first time since that night. He'd come home from working at Brennan's warehouse, exhausted and lonely. All he wanted was to see her, for her to be there with him. So, he called her and she came. "Why did you come? You're smarter and safer than I am," he smiled and she laughed as she cupped his cheek in her hand.

"You asked me to," she said. "I'd do almost anything you ask me to do. Especially if it means I get to see you," she smiled and he nodded.

"Anything?" He asked, gently pushing her to lay on her back.

"_Almost _anything," she laughed and he smiled, leaning over her to reach into his bedside table. "What are you doing?"

"Hold on," he said, moving closer to get a deeper reach. When he had what he wanted in his fist, he settled his knees on either side of her legs and she looked up at him with a confused look. "Hi," he said when he looked down at her and she smiled, amused.

"I feel like we're backwards," she mentioned, gesturing between the two of them. Sam smirked, his hand still in the drawer, and leaned his head closer to hers. "What are you doing?" She asked again.

"You'd do _almost_ anything I would ask?" He asked and she nodded her confirmation. "Then I have something to ask you."

"Okay," she said slowly, pushing herself up to sit while he hovered above her. He pulled a box out of his drawer, his eyes never leaving his, and placed it in her hand. "Sam?" She choked out, looking down quickly before finding his eyes again.

"Marry me," he said quietly and her hand gripped the velvet box harder as a tear slid down her cheek. He smiled, framing her face in his hands, and kissed her. "Andy, please marry me."

"Sam," she swallowed and he shook his head.

"This isn't because I was scared yesterday. It's not because I'm worried and trying to protect you or anything like that," he said and she nodded between his palms. "Andy, that ring was my mom's. It was in my safety deposit box for ten years. I took it out a month ago."

"What?" She laughed and he nodded. "You've had this in that drawer for a month?"

"It actually started in the top drawer of my dresser," he said and she smiled. "But I know how much you like to go in there for t-shirts."

"Smart move," she told him, supressing a smile.

"You haven't answered me," he reminded her.

"What was the question?" She asked, playing dumb and he chuckled.

"Andy McNally," he started and her smile grew. "Will you marry me?"

"I guess so," she teased and then she laughed. "Of course I will!"

Sam smiled and kissed her hard, rolling onto his back and taking her with him. He took the ring box from her hand and she placed her left hand on his chest while he opened it. "You're sure about this?" He asked as he positioned it over her ring finger and she nodded quickly. He smiled and slid it on her finger slowly. When he was finished, she looked down at her hand and smiled.

"I want to get married soon," she told him and he nodded. "Like right now."

"Well, it's 11 o'clock on a Saturday night," he laughed. "I don't think the courthouse is taking weddings right now."

"That's what I want," she said and he narrowed his eyes. "You and me at the courthouse. I don't want it to be a big deal, at least not right now. Let's keep this ours and let's get married as soon as possible."

"Andy," he sighed. "If you're saying all that for me, then don't. You want a wedding, you want your friends there."

"Okay," she said, rolling off of him and sitting up next to him. "Then let's do that later. We can get married now and we can throw a wedding later on when we're all settled and everything from the last year and a half has blown over. _I _want to marry you right now. I want to buy a house with you. I want to get a dog. I want to start a family. I want all of that, Sam. But I want it to be ours, just for now."

He regarded her for a second, pushing himself up to sit next to her. "Okay," he agreed and she smiled, throwing her arms around her neck. "You're off until Wednesday. I told Frank I'd be out with you. Let's get married on Monday and let's just do it. We'll need witnesses, though."

"My dad and Sarah," she said and he nodded. "Keep it in the family."

"Okay," he laughed, smoothing his hand over the back of her head. "Looks like we're getting married."

"Yes, it does," she smiled, pulling out of her hug to kiss him.

**AN: Two notes, you're lucky! Just kidding, you're probably sick of me! **

**I just wanted to apologize if the case portion of this chapter seems familiar. It definitely calls back to some of the things that have happened in the show, but it was the only thing that made sense my mind. **


	21. Epilogue

**AN: It's the end of an era. A very short era, but an era nonetheless. Thank you all so much for all your kind words about this story. It has meant a lot to me! I can't believe I started this story less than two months ago and now it's finished. That's crazy! But, here we are, the actual end. **

**Thank you again and please let me know what you think of the epilogue!**

They'd gotten married days after he proposed, just the two of them with Tommy and Sarah. They'd put their old houses on the market and they sold quickly. Within a month of the wedding, they were moving into the first house they looked at and fell in love with. It was nice for them to have one place to be as a married couple instead of switching off nights at each other's places. It had been four months since Andy was attacked and abducted and she had not let it change who she was. She and Sam dealt with it and worked through it, but she was still Andy McNally. For the time being, at least, she was changing her name _officially_ the following week.

She walked down the stairs of their new house wearing a long, deep red gown as Sam straightened his tie at the bottom of the steps. "Wow," he said when he noticed her and she smiled.

"Get a good look," she laughed, stepping off of the stairs to stand in front of him. "This is the last dress you'll see me in until the wedding."

"Oh, I'll be looking at you all night," he promised and she kissed him. She reached behind her for his wallet on the table where they kept their keys and other odds and ends. Going through it, she pulled out the simple wedding band he kept there. "We're telling them tonight?" He asked as she slid it onto his finger.

"Well, we have to," she smiled, turning around so he could unclasp the chain that hung low enough to hide her engagement and wedding rings. "I put the invitations in the mail this morning."

"Oh right," he nodded when she faced him again. He took her left hand and slid the rings on one by one. "Are you ready for all that emotion?"

"I've been ready since the day we got married," she laughed, running her hands over his chest. "But I'm glad we waited. I'm glad we've had the last four months to be husband and wife without everyone else chiming in. Everyone should do that when they get married."

"I don't know about that," he chuckled, reaching for his keys. "But it definitely worked for us."

"I can't believe we kept it a secret this long," she said, shaking her head as they made their way onto their porch.

"I can't believe _you _kept it a secret this long," he laughed and she shrugged. He held her hand, steadying her on her heels, as they made their way down the steps.

They were off to the Police Ball that the city was throwing. Officers and detectives from all divisions around the city were expected to be there and Frank let them know that he wanted a strong presence from 15. So, all of their friends were going, using it as an excuse to dress up and get drunk on the city's dime.

"I texted Traci," Andy said as Sam drove them toward the hotel where it was taking place. "I told her to get everyone you and I cared about to meet us in the lobby."

"Good thing we're running late," he laughed and she nodded. "You're making this announcement?"

"I have a feeling they think we're announcing our engagement," she told him and he nodded. "So, I'm sure they're already talking about that. I'll just tell them all that it happened four months ago and we got married a few days later."

"You think they'll be mad we've kept them out of the loop this long?" Sam asked and Andy sighed. There was a chance that could happen.

"I'm really hoping they'll just be happy for us and forget about that," she said and he laughed. "Oliver's gonna be mad."

"Oh yeah," Sam chuckled. "But he'll be way more happy than anything."

At a red light, he looked over at Andy, who was looking out the window, and focused on her rings. They never wore them, except when they had dinner with Tommy or Sarah, not even when they were home alone. It was easy for them to keep it a secret from their friends. They got married, celebrated with their family, and had a couple of days off to themselves to celebrate further. Both had admitted to wanting to tell their friends, but neither had done it. Sam insisted he didn't mind, but it was Andy that wanted it to stay between them. It was she that wanted it to be a big reveal. And he was more than happy to have her as his wife, for the time being, without all the fanfare that usually came with it.

It was he who finally convinced her that they should start planning a real wedding if they ever wanted to have one. She agreed and they used their rare days off together to get a venue and caterer picked out. They were now planning the smaller details, but she was convinced they could get it done by the time the wedding was to take place in two months. It was still going to be small, but they wanted to have something that they could share with all of their friends.

As Sam pulled up to the valet, Andy smiled at him and he returned it before climbing out and handing the keys over. He opened her door, taking her hand to help her step down. "You ready for this?" She asked him as she glimpsed inside and saw all of their friends through the door.

"Ready as I'll ever be," he smiled. She returned it and he put his hand on the small of her back and led her inside.

"What's this all about, Sammy?" Frank asked as soon as they were inside. Sam's left hand was in his pocket, his ring hidden, and Andy's was hidden behind the fabric of her long dress.

"We have something we want to tell you," Andy said and Sam nodded from beside her, looking down at his feet. "Promise you won't get mad," she said quickly and Sam laughed.

"Why would we be mad?" Gail asked, crossing her arms over the navy blue lace dress she was wearing. "We all thought you got engaged? But why would that make us mad?"

"We did get engaged," Sam admitted, finally looking at the group of people assembled: Frank, Noelle, Oliver, Celery, Traci, Steve, Gail, Holly, Dov, Chloe, Nick, and Chris. "Just..."

"Four months ago," Andy finished and everyone's jaws dropped.

"Excuse me?" Traci asked, stepping forward and Andy hid her face behind Sam's shoulder for a second before regaining her composure. "You got engaged four months ago and never told any of us?"

"Before I go any further," Andy said, smiling and holding her right hand up. "Please promise you won't get mad," she said again and after a second, everyone nodded.

"Okay," Noelle said, looking at the people around her, making sure they would keep their promises. "Go ahead, McNally."

At the use of her last name, the one that wouldn't be hers in a couple of days, she smiled and Sam moved his hand up her back to squeeze her shoulder. "We got _married_ four months ago."

"What?!" Oliver asked, laughing. Sam let out a sigh of relief and nodded, revealing the ring on his finger. "How did you keep that secret?"

"It was pretty easy," Sam shrugged. "I kept my ring in my wallet, Andy kept hers on a necklace."

"Okay," Traci said slowly, looking at Gail who was smiling wider than anyone had ever seen her. "_Why _did you keep that secret?"

"After what happened to me and to us, we wanted it to be something for just the two of us," Andy explained, reaching for Sam's hand. "And we probably didn't need to keep it to ourselves this long, but it's been really great."

"So, why now?" Chris asked through his smile.

"Yeah," Dov nodded, his arm around Chloe's shoulders. "Why tell us now?"

"Well," Sam said, looking to Andy. "We're going to have an actual wedding and we want to have it with you guys."

"Yes," Andy nodded. "I sent the invitations out this morning. But I wanted you to know the truth before you got them. We didn't want to keep something so exciting from you any longer."

"Congratulations," Oliver said seriously and both Sam and Andy smiled at him. "We are all really happy for you."

"Yeah," Traci said quickly, her previous anger gone. "We are."

"I mean, we would have been just as happy four months ago," Gail said and everyone around her nodded. "But, we're happy for you," she smiled.

"Thank you," Andy smiled, letting go of Sam's hand. Traci pulled her into a hug that Gail joined in on.

Oliver hugged Sam, patting him on the back, and Frank shook his hand. They were congratulated by everyone else with hugs and kisses on the cheeks until they heard the food being served in the ballroom behind them.

"Okay," Frank said, straightening his tie. "We need to head back. Swareks," he said, smiling at the beaming couple. "After you."

"Thanks," Sam said, walking through the crowd of their friends and into the ballroom. They found their seats at a table with Oliver, Celery, Traci, Steve, Gail, and Holly. The rest of their friends sat at the table next to them, close enough to talk comfortably.

* * *

"Is there something else you're not telling me?" Traci asked Andy while they were alone at the bar.

"Like what?" She asked, looking for the bartender.

"I don't know," Traci shrugged. "You've been downing waters all night."

"So what?" Andy asked, looking down at the rings on her left hand.

"So, are you not drinking the free wine and liquor for a reason?"

"No reason," Andy said, shaking her head and avoiding eye contact.

"McNally."

"I haven't taken a test or anything," she admitted quietly. "And I haven't told Sam anything. I'm just- I'm late."

"Andy," Traci gushed, squeezing her arm. "Why aren't you doing anything to find out for sure?"

"Um, because I'm terrified?" She laughed and Traci ran a comforting hand over back.

"I know," she nodded. "It's scary, but imagine how great it would be!"

"I know you're right," she nodded. "But, oh my god, we've only been married four months. We haven't even _had _the wedding yet. It's so soon."

"Who cares?" Traci laughed. "It's you and Swarek. This should have happened years ago."

"You're right," Andy smiled, finally accepting the water from the bartender while Traci took her glass of wine. They stayed behind a minute longer to finish up. "I'll take a test tomorrow," she said. "I'll tell Sam when I know."

"Good," Traci smiled. Then, "Andy, you could be pregnant _right now_."

"I know," she smiled and Traci hugged her. "Okay, you're the only one who knows, so keep it down!"

"Sorry," she laughed, looking back at their table. Luckily, no one was paying any attention to them. "Let's go."

They walked back to their table and sat down next to their respective dates. "Hey," Sam said as Andy sat down next to him. "More water?"

"Yeah," she nodded, taking a sip. "I'm just really thirsty."

"Okay," he shrugged, leaning closer to kiss her.

"So, it's out there," she said and he nodded, laughing. "How's it feel to officially be my husband?"

"It feels even better than when no one knew," he said and she smiled. "Which I didn't even think was possible."

"I know," she beamed, squeezing his thigh. "You're stuck with me."

"No one else I'd rather be stuck with, McNally," he promised before kissing her.

* * *

The next morning, Andy slipped out early- before Sam was awake- so she could run to the store to grab a pregnancy test. Her hands were shaking as she brought it up to the register, but she kept reminding herself of what she and Traci talked about the night before. It calmed her down as she drove her car back to the house. As she pulled into the driveway, she looked up at their bedroom window and imagined what Sam would think if she were really pregnant.

Months before, when he had just left the hospital, he was the one who brought up having kids. She hoped he didn't think it was too soon because, even though she thought it was still early, the thought of starting a family with him made her happier than she could have ever imagined. She knew that he would be excited and he would be happy, but she also knew he would be scared and protective. She knew, long before marrying him, that Sam Swarek worried a lot about the people he loves. She couldn't begrudge him for that, so she learned over the years to accept it and even revel in it.

She took one last look at the window and decided she needed to go inside and figure out whether or not she was carrying a future Swarek. She closed the door behind her quietly, left her keys on the table, and crept up the stairs and through their bedroom into their bathroom. Sam was still asleep, on his stomach with his face toward the window. She closed the bathroom door behind her and went about doing the test.

Just as she was washing her hands, she heard the bed creaking as Sam woke up. "McNally?" He called, his voice closer than she was expecting.

"Yeah?" She called out, standing in front of the test to hide it from him, and he opened the door. "Morning."

"I gotta pee," he said and she shook her head. "No, I'm pretty sure I have to go to the bathroom," he smirked and she laughed, nodding.

"Can you use the one in the hall?" She asked and he narrowed his eyes. "Please?"

"You're being weird," he noted, stepping back into the bedroom. "Real weird."

"Come back when you're finished," she called after him and he grunted his reply. She turned around to face the test, a couple of more minutes and she'd know whether or not she was pregnant. She couldn't watch anymore and moved into the bedroom to wait for Sam.

"Why are you acting so jumpy?" He asked when he came back, pushing her gently to lay back on the bed while he got in next to her.

"I'll tell you in a couple of minutes," she promised and he knitted his eyebrows together. "Just wait a couple of minutes."

"Is everything okay?" He asked slowly and she smiled, nodding her head. "Then what's in a couple of minutes?"

She ignored his question and kissed him hard. After a second of confusion, his hand got tangled in her hair as he kissed her back. When enough time passed, she pulled back and he instinctively moved closer to capture her lips again. "Sam," she laughed, pushing him away. "I need to tell you something."

"So, something is wrong?" He asked, sitting up so his legs dangled off the side of the bed. She shook her head and sat next to him, looping her arm through his.

"Nothing's wrong," she insisted. "The last week or so, I've been thinking a lot..." she trailed off, looking longingly into the bathroom.

"About what, Andy?" He asked and she looked at him with wide eyes and an even wider smile. "What's going on?" He asked, unable to hide his own smile, but he wasn't sure why.

"I think I might be pregnant," she said quickly and his whole body tensed beside her. "Scary, I know," she laughed.

"No," he said, shaking his head and smiling. "You're serious?"

"Well, I don't know," she laughed again, standing up and pulling him with her. "I took a test before you woke up. That's why you had to use the other bathroom."

As they walked in together, he wasn't sure what to look for, so he just watched her. She picked up the test and turned toward him, nodding furiously as tears slid down her cheeks.

"Yeah?" He asked and she nodded again, tossing the test into the sink. He pulled her closer by the hand and kissed her so hard she was backed against the wall. She threw her arms around his neck and he lifted her until her legs were around his waist, using the wall to keep her upright as his hands slid up the sides of her body.

"Oh my god," she breathed when the kiss ended. "We're having a baby. Wow."

He held her as her legs unwound from his body and then lowered her to the floor. "I can't- I mean- Wow," he said, his eyes wide and she smiled.

"I feel like this is a stupid question considering your reaction," she laughed and he smiled, resting his forehead against hers. "But you're happy about this? It's not too soon?"

"Are you kidding me?" He asked, stepping back. "I am _so _happy. We've been married for months and we still have plenty of more months until the baby comes. As long as we're doing this together, I wouldn't have cared if it happened the _night _we got married."

"Good," she said as tears of pure joy spilled from her eyes. "Because I'm really excited and I can't wait to have this baby with you."

Sam kissed her again, slower and less feverish than before, and really let the news wash over them. Her hands were on his chest, still bare from sleeping, and his arms were wrapped around her waist. "This is really happening?" He asked her and she nodded.

"I mean, we're going to need to go to the doctors and check for sure, but yeah," she smiled as she put her hands on either side of his face. "This is happening, Sam."

"I'm gonna be a dad?" He asked and Andy nodded again before wiping away a new batch of tears. "To your kid?"

"Yes," she laughed. "We're going to have a baby. You and me, Swarek."

"A little baby Swarek," he mused with a certain twinkle in his eye.

"Yeah," she smiled wide. "Can we get out of the bathroom, though? I feel like there are much better places to celebrate this news."

"Oh yeah," he nodded, laughing. He was in a daze like she'd never seen him before. But it was a happy daze, one she could feel seeping into herself. She couldn't wipe the smile from her face, didn't want to. So, she got into bed, still smiling, and he got in next to her, turning on his side to be facing her. "I'm in shock," he admitted and she laughed, looking up at him.

"That's okay," she promised. "I've had more time to process the idea of us being parents. Give it a couple of hours and I'm sure you'll start building the kid a crib or something."

"Our kid," he said and she nodded. She could really see him trying to wrap his head around the idea of the two of them having a child. At first, his excitement took over and now reality was setting in. She was happy to see that he still had the same look of excitement when he spoke.

"We can do this, you know?" She asked and his eyes focused on hers. "You and me, we've been through a lot. We can handle this. We'll be _good _at this."

"I hope you're right," he admitted and she leaned in to kiss him.

"I know I'm right, Sam," she promised and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay," he nodded. "Then, I believe you. We're going to be good parents."

"Yeah," she smiled as her arms slid around his neck, pulling him to her. "We are."

He smiled before kissing her and she smiled against his lips. Sam Swarek, Andy McNally, parents. With the house and the marriage, a kid on the way, he was starting to live the future he had told Oliver about their first weekend in the cabin. It was all coming together and he was beyond thrilled.


End file.
